Why home gyms are hazards for kids
MORE than 100 Victorian children are hospitalised each year from home fitness equipment injuries, sparking warnings for parents to keep kids safe.
Almost half of those injured are aged less than four.
Treadmills account for a third of accidents, followed by dumbbells and exercise bikes.
Kidsafe Victoria general manage Jason Chambers said Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit figures showed 127 Victorian children up to 14 were seriously injured in 2018-19.
The numbers are expected to be higher this year as a result of coronavirus shutting gyms and sparking a 400 per cent increase in the sale of home gym equipment from the end of March.
“One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk is to restrict children’s access to exercise equipment,” Mr Chambers said
“This can be achieved by setting up the equipment in a spare room that can be locked, or using safety products such as barriers and gates.”
He said motorised equipment, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, was made for adults and could be extremely dangerous for children.
“They often consist of sharp, moving parts that operate at high speeds, which can easily trap little fingers or cause severe friction burns,” Mr Chambers said.
“There are also a range of other hazards, including heavy equipment such as weights and medicine balls, which pose a crushing hazard, and long strings and bands, which can pose a strangulation hazard.”