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The Water Ball Safety Council is an international self regulatory organization promoting the safe operation of water walking balls. The Water Ball Safety Council provides reliable and truthful information on the safe use of water walking balls. The council is also charged with identifying the risks associated with water balls and providing methods of eliminating the risks and protecting children. The Water Ball Safety Council is constantly monitoring the use of water balls and studying methods to make the ride safer for everyone. Never has there been a death or serious injury with water balls in their 14 year history. The developer of the game claims that water walking balls are the safest water activity in history because the people do not get wet and it is impossible to drown. There has never been a fatality due to water walking balls and the Water Ball Safety Council agree with the developers claims. Water balls are the safest water activity in the world. The bottom line is that water balls are very safe if used in a properly controlled environment like a fair or festival. However when used in a backyard pool, on a lake or river, marina or boat anchorage, safety is greatly compromised and accidents can happen. To date there are no known deaths resulting from water balls.
In addition, there should be one or more pool guards on the platform loading children and watching them during the critical period of inflating the balls. This is when young children can show signs of claustrophobia and the child should be removed from the ball immediately. Do not launch the ball in the water even if the parent insists the child will settle down once in the water. They should be removed from the ball before placing them in the water because a panic stricken child can only lead to a worse situation and scare other children. Each ball is 2 meters in diameter with a high tech water proof zipper made in Germany. The ball is designed to be large enough to hold 97 cubic feet of air which is about 8 hours of oxygen for a young child and less for a full grown adult that exerts more energy and consumes more oxygen. At fairs and festivals, the ride only lasts about 5 or 10 minutes and the ball is re-inflated with fresh air every time a new person enters the ball. On hot summer days with sun shining on the balls, there is the possibility of a greenhouse effect and the ride should be limited to 5 minutes or placed inside a tent. The properly supervised rider is never in danger of suffocation or drowning. To date there has been no reported deaths resulting from suffocation, drowning, or any other cause The balls are designed that once inside, it is almost impossible to get out without some one on the outside to open the zipper. This may sound dangerous, but almost every carnival ride has the same limitations, you can not get out until the operator lets you out. If an escape hatch was incorporated in the water balls, the child would be in danger of drowning as there would be no safe place to escape to. It is like the old adage of jumping out of a frying pan into a fire. In summary, the Water Ball Safety Council, argues that water balls are the safest water activity for children when professionally operated at fairs and festivals. Water balls are safer than Ferris wheels, roller coasters and many other carnival rides. The Water Ball Safety Council does not endorse their use in; back yard pools, lakes, marinas or any unsupervised environment. The Water Ball Safety Council is always looking for new and safer ways to use water balls. If you have a suggestion, or complaint please contact us. |
We recommend only using water balls in inflated pools with soft sides
to protect children when they fall against the side from bodily
injury. The depth of the pool should be about 18 inches and one
pool guard should be in the pool or at pools edge to watch the children
for distress and anxiety at all times. The pool guards should be
able to remove the child from the ball in 30 seconds or better.