Bounce fine increased to $40,000 after boy’s climbing wall fall

In March 2024, Bounce pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court to two charges of failing to ensure people other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks. The court imposed a $12,500 fine without conviction. On Tuesday 17 September, the County Court set that sentence aside and increased the fine to $40,000 without conviction. Bounce was also ordered to pay $5,557 in costs.

The court heard the boy was using the centre’s climbing walls with two friends in May 2022. Each wall had an auto-belay system, with a cable connected to an automatically retracting friction device at the top and a carabiner at the bottom.

Between climbs, the carabiner was clipped to a mat at the base of the wall. Participants had to unclip it from the mat and attach it to their harness before climbing, releasing the mat onto the floor. After climbing, they were required to reconnect the carabiner to the mat for the next person.

After two successful climbs, the boy moved with a friend to a wall where they could race. Excited to compete, he did not notice the auto-belay had retracted to the top. Because the mat was on the floor, he mistakenly believed he was already attached.

The boy climbed to the top, pressed the timer button and pushed himself away from the wall. With no auto-belay attached to lower him, he fell four metres. He was taken to hospital and later diagnosed with a fractured sternum and soft tissue injuries to his back.

WorkSafe’s investigation found Bounce lacked systems of work to ensure customers received adequate supervision in the climbing area and were told the safety rules before entering.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said expecting the public, particularly children, to undertake a high-risk task without adequate supervision or a safety briefing was a recipe for disaster. “What had been a fun day out turned into an absolute nightmare for this boy and his family, who should have been able to rely on Bounce to ensure there was proper supervision and instruction for the activities on offer,” Mr Jenkin said.

Mr Jenkin said appropriate supervision, briefings on safe equipment use and ensuring children were accompanied by a parent or guardian were simple steps duty holders should take to manage the risks of indoor adventure activities.

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