The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has issued a warning to basketball enthusiasts to make sure their home basketball hoops are properly installed and maintained to avoid serious injury or damage to buildings.
Executive Director of Operations at the VBA, Lynda McAlary-Smith said the warning followed the commencement of the NBA, NBL and local junior basketball seasons.
“Before Victorians start practising their jump shot in their backyard basketball ring, they should check the VBA’s tips on making sure it is set up safely,” Ms McAlary-Smith said
“Basketball hoops should never be fixed to a freestanding wall or single layer of brickwork,” she said.
“These types of walls are not strong enough to support basketball hoops, and the installation may weaken over time and lead to the wall collapsing.”
Ms McAlary-Smith said brick walls and other structures were generally not designed to resist the forces that would be applied by the use of a basketball hoop and backboard.
“Anyone with a basketball hoop attached to a single brick wall should safely remove it immediately,” she said.
“A ring and backboard should ideally be fixed to a ‘hot dip’ galvanised steel post.”
She said that over time a basketball hoop, backboard and any structure it was fixed to could deteriorate with exposure to the elements and pose a risk if not inspected regularly.
Ms McAlary-Smith said that in 2002 a nine-year-old boy from Kilsyth in Melbourne’s east died when he slam dunked a basketball hoop attached to a garage door and a section of brick wall collapsed onto his head.
The VBA’s tips on installing and inspecting basketball hoops can be accessed at this PS News link.