| |
Using Pool
Alarms
Pool alarms, along with other types of
protection, should be implemented in and around your back yard
swimming pool to decrease the chance of childhood drowning
accidents. There are many different types of pool alarms on the
market, however, and it may be difficult to know which one to
choose. The following information on pool alarms should help you be
prepared to make the best choice for the safety of the children in
your life.
An evaluation of swimming pool alarms was conducted by the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2000. They tested and
evaluated three types of pool alarms: surface wave sensors, which
float
on the water; subsurface disturbance sensors, which attach to the
side of the pool, with a portion submerged; and a wristband sensor,
which is worn by the child and sounds an alarm if it is submerged.
Multiple tests of each device were conducted in six back yard
swimming pools of different shapes and sizes. The goals of the CPSC
study were to determine “whether the surface and subsurface wave
sensors would alarm when a test object entered the pool and whether
the wristband would alarm when exposed to pool water.” In addition,
the study tested for false alarms triggered by the weather, such as
wind and rain, or an object, such as a beach ball or soccer ball.
|
|
