Trampolines plus booze equals bad idea
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Summer (like every season, come to think of it) is hazardous. As the jacaranda blossoms wither, here come the reminders:
A sage warning from the British Medical Journal: ‘Lager, wine and trampolines do not mix.’
Andrew Bogacz and colleagues at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland, write, ‘the onset of spring is guaranteed to see family trampolines being dusted off and children attending hospital with trampoline related injuries.’ Most injuries are incurred when multiple users are enjoying the fun of a trampoline, the authors note, and the lightest participant is the one most likely to suffer. And, Bogacz and colleagues add, ‘we note that children have been hurt while being supervised or bouncing with adults who have been drinking at a summer garden party, for example. Adults, please note that lager, wine and trampolines do not mix.’
The PR firm Trent and Co. wordily advises: ‘Before you leave your office behind, make sure you have the necessary equipment to make sure you’re protected and ready to make the most of your summer days,’ then offers up ‘comprehensive preparedness kits that include anything you might need for an emergency or any challenging situation, from floods to flues.’ No chimney brushes included, but you’ve got your can openers, lanterns, 12-hour candles, tarps, snacks and hygiene products. All in a neat little cube.
Finally, ‘Warning: Lawn mowers can be dangerous,’ announces the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. The sheer breadth of medical specialty in that list should give you a good idea of the kind of slicing, dicing and general knocking about the machines are capable of. Read safety tips here, in a piece entitled ‘When Lawn Mowers Attack.’
-- Rosie Mestel