The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Home Safety Council want
to remind parents and guardians that just because summer is over doesn’t
mean that they should be less vigilant when it comes to letting their
children swim in pools and spas. Swimming pool accidents continue to be
a leading cause of child injuries and deaths. Since Memorial Day weekend,
there have been 172drownings and over 180 nonfatal incidents involving
kids under age 15.
Even though the school year is back in swing, the hot weather will continue
to persist through most of the US for at least another few months. To
prevent drowning accidents from happening, owners of private pools and
public pools and spas must make sure that the necessary safety precautions
are in place.
Some steps that pool owners can take to prevent drowning accidents:
- Use a heavy-duty cover over the pool to keep kids out when there are no adults available to supervise
- Install a government-approved anti-entrapment safety drain cover
- Set up a fence around the pool area so that kids can’t get in the water without your knowledge
- Make sure that children are properly supervised when in the pool by someone that knows how to swim
Common causes of pool drownings and injuries:
- Inadequate warning signs to accompany a public/community/hotel/resort pool
- Inadequate supervision
- Improper maintenance
- Improperly installed pool or spa equipment
- Defective swimming pool or spa equipment
- Inadequate rescue equipment
- Wet pool decks that can cause someone to slip and fall into the water
- Hazardous pool chemicals
- Drain entrapment accidents
Our child injury attorneys would like to offer you a free case evaluation
to discuss your drowning accident case.
The 2010 Pool Safely Summer Snapshot CPSC and HSC Release Summer Figures
on Child Drownings, CPSC, September 4, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Federal Pool and Spa Safety Act
Child Safety, How to Prevent Drowning, The Mayo Clinic
