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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
So there you are, the kids have finished with it, you've cleaned up the sick and paper cups and now you have to fold up a piece of heavy duty plastic the size of Wales. Daunting and energetic as I found out yesterday when training some Leisure Services colleagues in manual handling.
Sounds easy, well it isn't and it is really a pain in the bum if you are on your own not to mention a real muscle stretcher. Like most things technique and practice helps but I would like a mechanical solution. The interweb thingy didn't give me much help.
To that end have any Local Authority or Leisure Industry colleagues come across a mechanical means of rolling them up onto a stand (similar to how bowling mats are done).
Before anyone suggests it, filling with helium and floating them in is not an option, too expensive.
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Posted By Chris Pope
I think you have highlighted a problem many face when giving manual handling courses. People vary and some are very strong and I suggest that the very difficult work is given to the strongest employee if there is no other solution available.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Jeff,
I have absolutely no idea and no experience of folding bouncy castles. So will therefore offer the following sage, expert advice :
Can you set up some means of rolling it up ? A pole on a couple of trestles with a crank handle, maybe ? It must weigh 100 kilos or more (again, no idea) Then you need 27 strong men (25 strong girls) (fewer wimps per kilo) (and the chat-up possibilites are much improved. Suit yourself) to get it on the back of the lorry.
Our account is in the post.
Merv
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Posted By RP
Some LA's do not use them because of the accidents they cause, mainly head collision. Along with the extention to the insurance policy.
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Posted By Saracen11
Jeffrey, how did the thing arrive, how was it off-loaded, and from what, by whom and how? The sensible answer would be to pack it up in the reverse of how it was unpacked?
Regards
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Posted By Clairey O
morning
in my previous life i was a sports centre manager. our bouncy castle arrived all neatly folded on a dolly.
obviously once you have inflated then deflated it will never go back to the small but heavy package that arrived from the bouncy castle company. it took ages to work out which was the best way to roll it up, safest way to manoever (sp?), how many people it would take, and length of time. at the time there were no mechanical aids - it was hard graft from 4 people.
we found that this was a nightmare activity - along with trampolines.
many a time we would have some smart alec who would schedule something like football on the same space where would be trying to sort a bouncy castle.
in leisure it is not always possible to have the strongest person around to help you with this activity - it all depends on staff rotas, and what other activities need manning - eg the swimming pool, gym, reception.
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Posted By Stupendous Man
I think with this we need to look at going back to the bouncy castle manufacturers to see if they can offer a workable solution as part of the design/manufacture.
Tackle risk at source?
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Posted By John Hannon
Hi Jeffrey
Try using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air. But make sure it is wet/vac due to the ammount of water these castles can hold.
John
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Thanks everyone for the response.
Yeah I think making contact with the manufacturer is the next step.
Merv as usual great minds think alike. I had also envisaged a siege engine of some description and inventive blue peter use of an old inner cardboard tube from a carpet, slots, levers, lots of webbing and lashings of gaffer tape. Optional whip to keep the jack tarrs in line if there was any stink of mutiny, yarrr.
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
BTW
Clairey O describes the reality of the problem far better than I did. Work organisation helps up to a point but in most cases we are operating with 2 people spare not 4 or 6 to help get the job done. The guys managers are sensible people and ensure there are not any mad schedules that mean dropping the castle and getting the area prepped for another activity. The castle is always last. Which also means tempting though it is to maybe leave it out till the next day when more staff are available, you can't because of the fire load in the hall.
It shouldn't happen to a vet.
Thanks again
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Posted By Diane Thomason
The bottom line seems to be:
Bouncy Castles: Avoid Like The Plague
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Posted By Clairey O
we did try approaching the manufacturers - they were not particularly helpful. the most useful thing that they told us was it should take 4 people and should not be dragged.
good luck - don't envy you.
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