Wind limits for inflatables and bouncy castles
Inflatables have the clearest wind rule in UK outdoor events: no inflatable should be used in winds above 24mph. This guide sets out what HSE and PIPA say, how often to take readings and where a forecast fits.
The 24mph limit
HSE guidance on inflatables says no inflatable should be used in winds above 24mph (38km/h), which is Force 5 on the Beaufort scale.
The PIPA operations manual (IS0010-200, February 2026) says inflatables must not be used in winds or gusts greater than 24mph. The gust counts as much as the average.
Some inflatables have a lower limit. HSE says to check the manufacturer's operating manual for the maximum wind speed for safe operation. If the manual gives a figure below 24mph, that is your limit.
Sources: Health and Safety Executive: Inflatable play equipment guidance; PIPA: Operations Manual IS0010-200, February 2026
Measure the wind on the day
Both HSE and PIPA expect a reading taken at the inflatable, not an estimate.
- HSE: use an anemometer to measure wind speed at regular intervals and record the readings. If you have no anemometer, the inflatable should not be operated outside.
- HSE: do not use a smartphone weather app to measure wind speed. It does not take local conditions into account.
- PIPA: use the anemometer in the location of the inflatable.
- PIPA: at 15mph or less, with no stronger wind forecast, check the wind at set up and at regular intervals after that.
- PIPA: between 15mph and 24mph, check more often. Its examples are every 30 to 40 minutes at 15 to 20mph and every 10 to 15 minutes at 20 to 24mph.
- PIPA: if a sudden change or a gust takes the reading above 24mph, users must exit the inflatable and it must be switched off.
Sources: Health and Safety Executive: Inflatable play equipment guidance; PIPA: Operations Manual IS0010-200, February 2026
Anchoring and ballast
HSE says all inflatables must have at least 6 anchor points. The operator manual says how many there should be, so check they are all still in place and have not been removed.
Outside, every anchor point must be used. HSE says metal ground stakes should be at least 380mm long and 16mm wide, with a rounded top. They should have a welded metal O or D ring at the end.
Where the surface rules out stakes, for example tarmac, HSE says to use ballast with anchor points each weighing at least 163kg. The inflatable should be tightly secured so the wind cannot get under it and lift it.
Ground anchor bolts with a load rating of 1600N are the other option HSE gives. A competent person must install them to the manufacturer's instructions and check them at regular intervals.
Indoors, HSE says the operator's manual sets the anchorage needed.
Source: Health and Safety Executive: Inflatable play equipment guidance
Weather warnings
PIPA recommends that an inflatable is not used while a Met Office weather warning is in force, because of the risk of sudden changes in the weather.
Where a forecast fits
An anemometer tells you what the wind is doing now. It cannot tell you on Wednesday that Saturday's booking is likely to go over the limit. A forecast of gusts can, which gives you days to warn the customer, move the booking or plan extra staff.
A forecast does not replace the readings above. It tells you which days to prepare for and which days you can stop worrying about.
What happened at Harlow
On 26 March 2016 a seven-year-old girl died at Harlow Town Park in Essex when an inflatable dome was blown from its moorings.
The two operators were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter and jailed for three years. The court heard that the dome had not been secured properly and that the weather was not being monitored.
We include the case because it shows what the guidance above is for.
Source: IOSH Magazine: Bouncy castle death: couple jailed for three years
How Gustline helps
Add each inflatable as a structure and set its limit to 24mph or the lower figure in its manual. Gustline alerts you when a forecast gust comes within 5mph of that limit, up to seven days ahead, so you can plan before the day.
Gustline checks the Met Office site-specific forecast for the point you pin on the map, every six hours from a week out and every hour in the final three days. It compares the forecast gust with the rated limit you enter for each structure and checks the weather alerts you leave on for the event. When a level changes it emails and texts the people you choose. Every alert is logged with a timestamp.
Gustline is an early warning for planning. It does not replace checks on site on the day, the official warnings or your event's own plans.
Plans start at £19 for one event. A season pass is £99 a season and a year pass is £179 a year. It covers the UK only.
Set up alerts for your next eventCheck the next 7 days of gusts at your site against a inflatable limit, free
Sources
- Health and Safety Executive: Inflatable play equipment guidance
- PIPA: Operations Manual IS0010-200, February 2026
- IOSH Magazine: Bouncy castle death: couple jailed for three years
Last updated 4 October 2026.
Read next
- How to write a wind management plan
What UK guidance says a wind management plan should hold: a limit for each structure, action levels, who decides, how wind is measured and a log.
- Wind limits for marquees and tents
A marquee's wind limit comes from its design certificate, not a general figure. What MUTA guidance says about design wind load and wind management plans.
- Met Office weather warnings for event organisers
What yellow, amber and red Met Office warnings mean for an outdoor event. Each colour combines impact and likelihood, so no colour means a set wind speed.
- Gusts or mean wind: which number to plan around
Forecasts give a mean wind speed and a gust speed. Why structure limits are gust limits, how load rises with the square of speed and what to compare.