Buying a bouncy castle from China for a club
Before ordering, secure the design and operating documents, an agreed competent initial-test route, annual inspection arrangements, a site-specific anchoring plan and written insurer acceptance. Appoint trained operators with weather monitoring and shutdown procedures. China-side checks can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Have an inspector review the documents before ordering
Ask a prospective inflatable inspector to assess the proposed model before you pay a deposit. Explain who will use it, whether adults are included, and the intended indoor and outdoor sites. Ask whether it is an ordinary blower-fed bouncy castle or a sealed inflatable, which inspection route fits it, and whether a separate design review is needed.
Request drawings, material and seam specifications, anchor layouts, blower specifications, user limits, operating pressures and English operating and maintenance instructions. HSE guidance says documentation supplied for the initial test should be in English. Have the inspector identify missing evidence and the applicable standard edition. Use our test-report verification guide to check that reports cover the actual design.
Agree initial testing and annual inspection
HSE advises that a new inflatable should have an initial test confirming compliance with BS EN 14960. Before ordering, agree who will perform and witness the test, where it will happen, what evidence the inspector will accept and who pays for corrections. Make satisfactory inspection acceptance a purchasing condition. A factory visit has a different purpose, explained in factory audits versus inspection reports.
Arrange annual inspection by a competent person and appoint a club member to manage bookings and records. Ask a prospective PIPA or ADIPS inspector to confirm their scope for the proposed equipment. HSE says that using an inspector outside these schemes may require you to demonstrate how you assessed competence. Ask for reports identifying the castle and blower, findings, restrictions and outstanding repairs.
Resolve anchoring for the actual club site
Give the inspector photographs and details of each proposed surface. Ask them to specify every anchor position, the stakes or engineered alternative, rope and fixing specifications, and how the installation will be checked. Request an indoor arrangement too. Do not order on the assumption that the factory's supplied anchor kit suits grass, paving and a sports hall equally.
For hard surfaces, obtain a written ballast or ground-fixing plan that the club can actually install, transport and store. Ask the venue about fixing permissions and buried services before planning ground penetration. Include entrance and surrounding protective matting in the site brief, and have the inspector assess the complete arrangement before users are admitted.
Write the weather and operating plan
Official inflatable guidance says equipment should not be used above 24 miles per hour, even with all anchors in use. Ask the manufacturer and inspector to confirm any lower limit for your model, then use the lower limit in the club's operating plan. Budget for an on-site wind meter, a pressure-measuring device and a log of readings.
Appoint trained supervisors to remain with the equipment throughout use. Agree checks before opening, user and height limits, separation of larger and smaller users, and repeat checks of anchors and inflation. Write procedures for rising wind, rain, slippery surfaces, power failure and evacuation, including who can stop use. Ask the inspector to review these procedures and demonstrate the checks to club staff.
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Obtain insurer acceptance and separate release decisions
Before committing, send the insurer the model, intended users, sites, supervision plan and proposed inspection evidence. Explain whether use is limited to members, includes public events or involves hiring it out. Request written confirmation of cover for those activities, accepted inspection arrangements, exclusions and operating conditions. If acceptance depends on later reports, record those conditions before ordering.
Keep shipment approval separate from permission to open the castle to users. Our quality inspection guide covers the China-side release decision. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can coordinate factory documents and agreed production checks; separately appoint the competent inflatable inspector and obtain insurer acceptance. Leave the castle out of service while inspection findings or insurance conditions remain unresolved.
Frequently asked questions
Can a factory inspection replace a bouncy castle safety inspection?
A factory inspection covers its agreed scope. Arrange the competent inflatable initial test and annual inspection separately, and ask the inspector which factory evidence can support their assessment.
Does a new bouncy castle need annual inspection?
Yes. Arrange competent initial testing for the new castle and annual inspection thereafter. Name a club member to maintain the inspection diary and keep reports with the equipment records.
Can we put a bouncy castle on concrete?
Ask the inspector for an acceptable site-specific anchoring and protective-matting plan before buying. Confirm that the club can install and manage the specified ballast or ground fixings.
Will our club insurance cover an imported bouncy castle?
Ask the insurer before ordering. Provide the exact model, users, sites, operating plan and inspection route, then obtain written acceptance and any conditions for the intended activities.