Does This Look Like Fun?

Submitted by Bob Jacobson on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 11:46

Does This Look Like Fun?
 
It may not be as fun as it looks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following consumer alert on March 31, 2011:
 
Consumer Alert: CPSC Warns of Deadly Danger with Water Walking Balls
 
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to stop participating in a new type of water-related recreational activity, due to the potential risks of suffocation and drowning. The activity is called water walking and the water walking ball has numerous brand or ride names.
The fact that the product has no emergency exit and can be opened only by a person outside of the ball significantly heightens the risk of injury or death when a  person inside the ball experiences distress. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart, lung, or breathing issues, can be made worse by use of this product.
An individual climbs into the large, see-through plastic ball; it is inflated with a blower through the zipper opening; and the zipper is closed, making the ball air-tight. The ball, with the person locked inside, then rolls around on a number of surfaces, including water,  ice, or grass. The product is most commonly used by children and is used mainly as a ride in amusement parks, carnivals, malls, sporting events and other high-traffic areas. The product is also sold directly to the public for personal use.
Several states have banned or refused to provide permits for rides that use this product. CPSC is aware of two incidents involving this product. In one incident, a child was found unresponsive after being inside the ball for a very brief period of time, and emergency medical treatment was sought. In the second incident, a person inside of a ball suffered a fracture when the ball fell out of the shallow, above-ground pool onto the hard ground.
CPSC is warning consumers that there is a combination of risks associated with this product, including the potential for suffocation, as well as the potential for drowning and impact injuries. Because the ball is airtight, an inadequate air supply can result when oxygen is depleted and carbon dioxide accumulates inside the ball. Such a dangerous scenario can occur in as little as a few minutes. Because the water walking balls have no padding, impact injuries can occur if the balls collide with each other, or fall out of the pool onto concrete or other hard surfaces, such as ice or tile.  These water walking balls are also being used on open water, creating the potential for injuries if the ball is struck by a boat or strikes a solid object, such as a buoy or pier. Additionally, the balls present a high risk of drowning if there is a leak or a puncture.
CPSC has informed state amusement ride officials of the risks associated with this product and encourages state officials not to permit this ride in their state. CPSC does not know of any safe way to use this product.  
 
My Thoughts
 
Any product that you are enclosed in and unable to remove yourself from without someone else’s assistance does sound dangerous. I have to admit that in some of my past moments of day dreaming I have thought about such a ball but did not know anyone had actually created one. I am no inventor, but it would make sense to me to install a two way zipper (like on a two way jacket) that can be secured but accessible from the inside to remove the danger of being unable to get out of the thing. How about an oxygen sensor to tell you how much air you have left inside before you get to a dangerous shortage? How about a few holes filled with rubber stoppers that can be poked out either inside or outside in case of emergencies? Yes, they do look like fun, but they also look dangerous considering at present the CPSC does not know of any safe way to use this product. It seems like a lawsuit just waiting to happen.