Splish, Splash, It’s Pool Time!

With the warm weather approaching, thoughts turn to lazy afternoons outside. While summers are filled with care “free” days, they still need to be careful days. This is especially true if you or your friends have a pool.

The statistics are sobering. Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related deaths among children. Surprisingly, at the time of the incident, most of the children were being supervised by one or both parents. Drowning can occur in a matter of minutes and, unlike scenes in movies or on TV, drowning victims cannot cry out – drowning is a silent death.  

The following are some important recommendations from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help create a more secure pool environment. 

• Install a fence around your pool. It should be at least four feet high, preferably five. If your house opens onto the pool deck, the doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with an alarm.
• Vertical slats on the fence around your pool should be less than 4 inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through.
• If you have a chain link fence, no part of the diamond-shaped opening should be larger than 1-3/4 inches.
• Inspect your fence periodically to make sure that there are no gaps in it that would allow a small child to squeeze through.
• Be sure there are no objects such as lawn chairs or riding toys around the fence that your child could use as leverage to climb over.
• Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching – and should be locked when the pool is not in use.
• A power safety cover should also be installed. Be sure this cover meets the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) pool cover standard that addresses labeling requirements and performance.
• If you have an above-ground pool, steps and ladders leading to the pool should be secured and locked or removed when the pool is not in use.

Along with securing your pool, it’s important to remember these safety rules:

• Make sure your babysitter or anyone else watching your child knows about the safety devices for your pool and that you expect them to keep your child in sight at all times.
• Keep a portable phone at the pool with you and have all emergency numbers on hand.
• Take a CPR or First Aid course or renew your certification.
• If a child is missing, immediately check the pool. Seconds could make the difference between life and death.
• Do not assume that because your child has had swimming lessons or is using an inflatable vest or inner tube, he could not drown.
• If you are having a party, designate a second person to watch your child while you might be tending to guests.
• Never leave toys near the pool. They are a temptation that could bring children too close to the pool’s edge.

Pool safety is also something to consider when visiting friends or relatives. We are all taught to be polite, but your child’s safety is much more important than being diplomatic. If you are visiting someone who does not have a secure fence around their pool, consider very carefully if you feel this is a secure environment for your child to be in. I know, I know, you never take your eyes off your child, but statistics don’t lie. Seventy-seven percent of drowning victims had been missing from sight for five minutes or less, the time it takes to answer a phone or run after another child. Don’t let your child become a statistic.