Mr Booncy now has a safety-minded sister

Nov 10 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A BOUNCY castle hire firm owner has started a sister company to ensure inflatables are operating within the law and to the highest safety standards around the region.

Gary Smith acted after reading reports about a number of accidents involving old and unsafe inflatables. His new business Inflatable Solutions provides information about all aspects of bouncy castle hire and safety, and runs side by side with his Bedlington-based hire business Mr Booncy.

Inflatable Solutions operates online and provides the equivalent of an MOT for the inflatables industry. The website allows people to check which businesses have undertaken valid safety checks.

“The introduction of compulsory safety checks for bouncy castles will make the industry even safer. Our castles are renewed every two years and each customer gets a safety check and risk assessment to ensure that the location and position of the castle is going to be safe,” said Mr Smith.

He has also extended his safety expertise to other industries using inflatables.

Inflatable Solutions has put together comprehensive safety checks for the fall arrest systems used on lorries and on construction sites for Aark Inflatables of Cramlington, which manufacture the systems.

Mr Smith turned to local BizFizz business adviser Jan Grieveson for advice on moving his idea forward.

He said: “Jan basically helped take me from being a man with a bouncy castle to being a reputable expert in safety and bouncy castle design.”