Four warning signs a family entertainment venue may have safety concerns
By Tim Murphy
The facts are sobering, gut-wrenching, and indisputable. America’s children are needlessly suffering, even dying, due to subpar safety standards at family entertainment venues across the board. This is evidenced by the ceaseless glut of reports on recent amusement and trampoline park adolescent deaths (many with details too horrific to recount), paralysis, and a litany of other catastrophic injuries. But the problem is far more pervasive than that as an array of other types of family-oriented centers and activities fraught with downright unacceptable facility flaws and inadequate policies or a lack of suitable safety measures or policies.
Parents can better assess if a facility they are frequenting has safety concerns—warning signs that the parent should not only should heed with caution but also should be brought to management’s attention for the collective benefit of patrons.
Here are four key warning signs a family entertainment venue may have safety concerns and needs to be immediately vetted for safety shortcomings.
Lack of proper management
The No. 1 safety protocol starts with suitable management. Does it appear that the managers are properly trained? Are they engaged with their attention to the facility, employees, and patrons, or are they indelibly sequestered “in the back” somewhere? Do there appear to be safety checks and measures in place based on signage and how staffers are managing the floor and regularly checking on equipment and facilities? If the bathrooms are a mess, what might this say about property equipment care and upkeep? If any of these are apparent issues, it’s a major red flag and perhaps the tip of the iceberg among other issues you may find at the location.
Lack of properly trained team members
Floor staffers are a direct reflection of the management’s training style, depth, and frequency. Without proper staff training and experience on the grounds, it becomes problematic for everyone. One wrong or missed action by the team members could be detrimental to any family member or even employees. Is the attraction led by trained staff members who are demonstrably and thoroughly engaged in all aspects of the post for which they are responsible? Are they appropriately managing patrons who are engaging with people or equipment improperly? Are they actively ensuring any safety protocols are being adhered to by guests and continuing to check back? Are they demonstrating proper techniques on how to use equipment? Are they picking up litter or otherwise resolving problems and exuding pride in their role and environment? Are they interacting with customers professionally and with a genuine smile? An absence of these qualities, certainly in combination, is a red flag that attentiveness may be lacking.
Improper equipment and standards
Does the equipment appear clean, properly installed, and in good working condition at the venue? Or, do you see stains on the equipment or floors, rips, tears, and other obvious signs of equipment use and wear and tear? It’s a sign of poor management and maybe even location cash flow issues. Properly run facilities do daily inspections of all equipment and attractions to ensure that guests receive the best possible experience and are safe while using the equipment in the space. Additionally, facility rules — extremely visible parameters of use that will ensure guests know exactly what not to do with staffers proactively ensuring every guest follows these rules — are paramount. Ensuring there’s no question about what to do or not to do helps minimize the opportunity for injury but also serves as a visual cue for the guest to follow to help aid in preventing injury.
Finally, if the venue serves food, is the equipment (vending machines, counters, tables, ice cream machines, restrooms, etc.) clean and in good working order, and has it received a formal state inspection posted? If the location serves alcohol, is the business properly licensed by the city, county, and state? Cleanliness, good equipment operation, and proper inspection signage give patrons a good indication of the condition of the facility and how well both the staff and management are performing.
Improper facility and safety standards
Firstly and highly fundamentally, rules and warning signs should always be displayed, both in the activity areas at each attraction and in the restrooms. If there are few or entirely absent signs in this regard, safety is a concern. This is a baseline standard, and if it’s subpar, it’s indicative that safety isn’t a priority for the location. Also, are team members verbally instructing guests on how to use equipment and intervening when that is not the case? Or are they chatting amongst themselves and letting patrons run amuck? When applicable, are smaller kids segregated from more aggressive teenagers and adults, which can help prevent injuries to younger guests? And do employee uniforms aptly differentiate team members from guests? This allows all guests to know who is in control of the facility and whom to talk to as well as who is the authority at each attraction. Does the facility avail First Aid Kits (including defibrillators), team member headsets, and PA systems that also help facilitate a safe and properly supervised environment? If management has taken care of all standards of safety, all guests should have maximum fun with little safety concerns.
Exacerbating unresolved safety concerns like the above is a litany of operational debacles that are equally avoidable. This often includes things like these:
—Small problems going unreported by staff and/or patrons.
—Equipment and condition problems going unnoticed or unattended.
—Deficiencies showing up in audits and inspections not being addressed.
—Less time taken when doing pre-shift checks.
—Fewer people participating in safety meeting discussions and ongoing education or training sessions.
—The company and its leaders spending increasingly less time being proactive about safety.
—Safety never completely under control because people are never under complete control.
—Safety performance “flatlines,” even when the line goes through zero.
Ultimately, ongoing formal and informal inspections, staff and management training, safety videos, ongoing personnel evaluations, and other safeguards are absolutely fundamental measures that can help a facility quickly identify and rectify structural and policy issues and ensure employees are aptly educated for the type venue at hand. Not only will this mitigate the chance of injury, but it will also help owners avoid expensive liability lawsuits.
Tim Murphy is chief executive officer, principal, and exclusive commercial real estate broker of Rebounderz family entertainment centers. He is an international keynote speaker and best-selling author and has a MBA in finance and an bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida.
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