Hiring guide

Bouncy castle safety checks every parent can do

A parent-friendly run through the safety checks HSE expects for hired inflatables, so you know what to look for from booking to the last bounce.

Where the responsibility sits at a home party

HSE explains that health and safety law covers the commercial supply, hire and use of inflatables, but not private, domestic users. In practice that means the hire company has legal duties as a business, while at a garden party you, as the host, are the one watching the castle once the van has gone.

That is why it is worth knowing the basics. The figures below come from HSE's guidance for Great Britain. HSENI publishes the same advice for Northern Ireland.

Before you pay: the standard and the proof

The standard that matters is BS EN 14960, which covers the safety of inflatable play equipment across the UK and Europe. You cannot check that by looking, so you rely on the inspection schemes.

There are two in the UK. PIPA, the Professional Inflatable Play Association, attaches a numbered tag to each unit it has tested. ADIPS, the Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme, issues a Declaration of Operational Compliance, often shortened to DoC. In HSE's words, using a unit without either could put people's safety at risk.

ADIPS makes a useful point: the entry on its online database, not a paper or emailed certificate, shows a device's current status, because a certificate only reflects the day it was issued. Apply the same thinking to a PIPA tag and look the number up on the PIPA website rather than trusting a photo of an old certificate.

Ask for the tag or DoC number of the exact unit you are booking.
Check it online and confirm the annual inspection is in date.
Ask for the operating instructions, which HSE says every inflatable should come with.
Ask for a copy of the hirer's public liability insurance.

Watching the set-up

You do not need to be an expert to notice whether the basics have been done. HSE sets out what correct anchoring looks like outdoors:

At least six anchor points, with every one of them used. The manual says how many that unit needs.
On grass, metal stakes with a rounded top and a welded O or D ring, no shorter than 380 mm and no narrower than 16 mm.
Where stakes cannot go in, such as on tarmac, a minimum of 163 kg of ballast on each anchor point, or ground anchor bolts rated at 1600 N fitted by a competent person.
Ropes in good condition, never stretched, frayed or improvised with bungee cords.
The unit held down tightly so wind cannot get underneath it.
Once inflated, a symmetrical shape with no sagging, holes or split seams.
Safety mats at the entrance, no more than two inches deep, and impact-absorbing material where the unit sits on hard ground.

The blower and the cables

The blower runs the whole time the castle is up. HSE says the correct blower for that unit must be used, the tube must be firmly attached, and the fan and its non-return flap should be checked daily. It also says the deflation rate should be tested before use by switching the blower off: the castle should go down slowly enough for everyone to get off while it keeps its shape.

Merthyr Tydfil Council's guidance adds that the back and sides should be fenced off so children cannot reach the fan or cables, that cables should be rated for outdoor use and covered so nobody trips, and that litter must be kept away from the air intake. The electrical body NICEIC advises that outdoor sockets should be protected by an RCD.

Wind

HSE's upper wind limit for any inflatable is 24 mph (38 km/h), Force 5 on the Beaufort scale, and a unit's manual may give a lower one. HSE wants readings taken in your garden with an anemometer rather than from a phone app. Ask the installer what the limit is for your castle and how they want you to keep an eye on it. Our guide to bouncy castles in wind and rain goes into this in full.

House rules while it is in use

Agree these with the grown-ups before the first child climbs on, and keep one adult watching at all times. HSE wants a suitably trained person keeping watch for the whole time it is in use, so ask the installer to brief whoever will be on duty.

Stick to the maximum number of users and any height limit on the label.
Put similar sizes on together, with separate turns for little ones.
Shoes and glasses off, and pockets emptied of anything hard or sharp.
No food, drink, sweets or chewing gum on the castle.
No climbing or hanging on the walls.
Nobody who is obviously drunk allowed on.
Check the anchors every so often and keep watching the weather.

If something does not look right

If the castle starts to sag, a stake pulls loose, a seam opens or the wind gets up, calmly get everyone off first. Then follow the steps the installer showed you and ring the hirer. Do not try to repair the castle or re-stake it yourself, and keep children away from it while it is deflating.

Questions

What does a PIPA tag show?

It shows the inflatable is part of the PIPA testing scheme. Look the tag number up on the PIPA website to confirm the unit has an in-date inspection.

Can I just buy a cheap inflatable instead of hiring one?

You can, but Rother District Council warns that inflatables sold in toy shops and online are unlikely to meet BS EN 14960 and are often more cheaply made. Treat them as toys and follow the maker's instructions closely.

Does a bouncy castle need watching all the time?

Yes. HSE guidance is that a suitably trained person should be watching it the whole time children are using it.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information for people hiring inflatables in the UK, not legal or safety advice. Your hirer is responsible for safe set-up, so always follow their instructions. Last reviewed November 2026.