A new inspection scheme for the inflatable play industry is to be officially launched on 1 September, with the aim of registering all inflatable play equipment – more commonly referred to as ‘bouncy castles’ – on a central database by September next year.

The launch follows 18 months of planning by the trade associations involved, headed up by the Performance Textiles Association (PTA), the umbrella organisation under which AIMODS (Association of Inflatables Manufacturers, Operators, Designers & Suppliers) operates.

The project will be known as the PIPA scheme and the PTA is currently finalising the appointment of a number of industry-based inspection bodies. These organisations will employ specially qualified inspectors who are themselves examined and registered by the Register of Play Inspectors International.

Each inflatable will be issued with a unique, numbered security disk, the details recorded on the database – accessible at www.pipa.org.uk – and a certificate issued to the hirer.

leisure-kit keyword: PIPA