Section 6000.353  Trampoline Courts

 

a)         This Section shall govern all trampoline courts (courts) in operation on or after January 1, 2022. Courts subject to the Act must comply with the inspection and permitting requirements of this Part by February 1, 2022.

 

b)         Trampoline courts must comply with ASTM 2970-20.

 

c)         In addition to the definitions in Section 6000.10, the following shall apply to and govern this Section 6000.353:

 

"Commissioning" means an action by the installer or other competent person of putting a new element or court into service for the owner or operator.

 

"Competent Person" means a person possessing the skills, knowledge, experience, training, and judgment to perform assigned tasks or activities satisfactorily, as determined by a reasonable person.

 

"Major Modification" means a change in either the structural or operational characteristics of an amusement ride or amusement attraction that can alter its performance from that specified in the manufacturer’s design criteria.

 

"Operating System" means the system or systems of processing a patron through the court.

 

"Operating Manual" means a document containing the procedures and forms for the operation of the court activity and equipment on the site.

 

"Third-Party Inspector" means a qualified person not directly employed by the operator of the court or parent company, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or vendor, and not offering other services to the operator of the court or parent company, who is qualified via International Association of Trampoline Parks accreditation, NAARSO certification, or other equivalent certification to provide court inspections, as determined by the Department.

 

d)         This Section specifies the site, site approval, design, testing of equipment, management of the operation, operating procedures, and emergency provisions and procedures for courts. All courts shall meet the manufacturer's standards and specifications.

 

e)         Site Plan and Equipment Design and Construction

 

1)         This Section (e) shall apply to courts undergoing a major modification or newly constructed after January 1, 2022. All court operating system designs shall be reviewed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer. ASTM 2970-20 and other applicable standards shall be used as general guidance. The designer of the court is responsible for preparing the design report for the owner. The design report shall contain site plans, safety zones, drawings, a design evaluation, and specifications for equipment, platform, rigging system, and safety equipment. The design report shall be submitted to the Department before the commissioning of the court and shall be maintained on-site. The design evaluation included in the report shall consider the following:

 

A)        Static and dynamic loads on anchors and components.

 

B)        Fatigue limits or absolute component replacement intervals.

 

C)        Fatigue limits for structures.

 

D)        Protection against metallic corrosion.

 

E)        Clearances and hazard analysis.

 

F)         Platform, walkway, ladder and associated foundation size and load ratings, including factors of safety.

 

2)         An inspection by a third-party inspector shall be conducted each time a major design component is modified. Scheduled component replacements in accordance with manufacturer or designer maintenance procedures do not constitute a design modification.

 

3)         Courts shall be inspected by a third-party inspector annually. The information gathered from the inspection shall be presented in a report to the owner in accordance with the ASTM 2970-20 and industry standards or equivalent standards as approved by the Department. The inspection report shall be submitted to the Department at the time the application for a permit is submitted to the Department.

 

4)         Differences between the design as detailed in the engineer's report and evaluation and the implemented installation by a competent person shall be reconciled. Appropriate explanations of the differences, which may include modified drawings, procedures, analyses, and additional calculations, shall be appended to the original design report or engineering evaluation as applicable. Owner's manuals shall be updated to reflect the engineer's or manufacturer's acceptance of the modifications.

 

5)         A court commissioning plan, including an acceptance test procedure and report, shall be incorporated in the engineer's report. Commissioning and testing shall be conducted by a competent person.

 

6)         Any materials or data made available to or received by any agent or employee of the Department that contains information that is exempt from disclosure under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140/7] shall not be disclosed.

 

f)         General Compliance Criteria

 

1)         Equipment

 

A)        There shall be adequate clear space above, below, and around the court to ensure participants will not strike or contact any permanent object.

 

B)        Equipment appropriate for applicable rescue, rescue plans, and personnel trained to retrieve a participant from anywhere within the court shall be present during court operation.

 

C)        All parts and components shall be purchased from the manufacturer or shall only be manufacturer-approved replacement parts. If the manufacturer is no longer in business, replacement parts shall be procured in a manner consistent with ASTM 2970-20.

 

2)         Court Protection

Courts shall have appropriate safety devices, such as impact-absorbing materials, landing mats, or nets, installed per the manufacturer's design specifications and ASTM 2970-20. Descriptions and operating characteristics of the safety devices shall be included in the design drawings.

 

g)         Site Operating Manual and Documentation

 

1)         Each court shall have an operating manual for the safe operation of court activities on-site. The operating manual and all amendments shall be on-site and freely available to operating staff and governing bodies.

 

2)         The operating manual shall include the procedures that will be used by the court to comply with this Part.

 

3)         The operating manual shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

 

A)        A site plan.

 

B)        A description of operating systems and equipment.

 

C)        Job procedures, including training, for each task in the operating system. The staff training plan shall include documentation of training provided by a qualified industry training professional, including certificates verifying competency.

 

i)          Court managers shall be 21 years of age or older and shall hold a current Red Cross first aid certificate and a current Red Cross cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate, or their equivalent. At least one court manager must be present on-site at all times during court operation.

 

ii)         Operating staff shall have complete knowledge of the operation of the court.

 

iii)        At no time shall the ratio of participants to attendants and assistants exceed 32:1.

 

D)        Job descriptions.

 

E)        Sample of staff qualifications.

 

F)         Staff selection procedures.

 

G)        Maintenance standards and procedures.

 

H)        Testing procedures and recording.

 

I)         Criteria for the periodic equipment replacement.

 

J)         Emergency plan.

 

K)        Reporting of injuries, damage, and incidents.

 

L)        Requirements for maintaining logs, including:

 

i)          Site

 

ii)         Equipment

 

iii)        Personnel

 

M)       Records to be kept.

 

N)        Inspection procedures, standards, and follow-up actions.

 

O)        Examples of forms to be used.

 

h)         Emergency Plan and Provisions

 

1)         Each court shall have an emergency plan, including appropriate procedures to be followed in case of emergency, that has been reviewed with the local police and fire departments by court management, and must maintain documentation that such review took place, including any recommendations provided by the police or fire department.

 

2)         Each court shall have a medium first aid kit and blankets on site.

 

i)          If a court meets all the equipment and inspection requirements of this Part, the Department shall issue an operating permit, subject to the applicant submitting the fees for Amusement Attractions required by Section 6000.50(a)(3) and (b)(3).

 

j)          An owner or operator of a court that is permitted under the requirements of the Act and this Part may disclose or advertise such permit status. Misrepresentation of permit status shall be a violation of the Act. No owner or operator shall advertise any court as being otherwise endorsed or approved by the Department, in any advertisement, brochure, commercial, TV or radio show, or newspaper, or in any other public manner.

 

(Source:  Added at 46 Ill. Reg. 9899, effective May 26, 2022)