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Pool and
Spa Safety Facts
In childhood drowning, the “silent killer,” a child often slips
under the water without a sound being heard. The facts make it
obvious that we need greater water safety awareness. If we let the
facts slip silently under the surface of our minds, more children
will needlessly die of drowning.
Although unpleasant, the facts demonstrate the need for a new
attitude toward water safety. Parents must do more to protect their
children and begin preparations before the arrival of a newborn
baby. All safety measures should be in place before a child begins
to crawl.
Protection
Your swimming pool or hot tub should be secured with multiple
barriers.
Use a pool or spa cover. A motorized system may be expensive, but
you can secure the area easily and quickly with the flip of a
switch. You’re more likely to use a motorized system after every use
of your pool than you are to take the time and trouble to pull a
heavy cover over your pool manually. This can be a difficult and
time-consuming task.
Install pool and spa alarms that will sound when anyone enters the
water. There are several different types of alarm systems that you
can choose from.
Install a fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate that
children cannot open. The fence should be at least 5 feet high and
designed to prevent direct access from the house or yard. Properly
installed, four-sided isolation fencing would prevent 50 to 90
percent of all residential childhood drowning and
near-drowning incidents in swimming pools.
Any doors, windows, and gates leading to the pool or spa area should
have a lock, and the lock should be located out of the reach of
children. These locks should be used when no adult is in the spa or
pool area. If the locks are present, but aren’t used, it doesn’t do
any good to have them! These doors and windows should also have
alarms installed for additional protection, in the event, for
example, that a door is left open, or a window leading to the pool
area is breached.
Always empty buckets, wading pools, and bathtubs immediately after
using them, and install a locking device on all toilets.
Supervision
Proper supervision is the single most important element. You should
never allow a child to run and play out of your sight near a pool,
hot tub, wading pool, or even a bathtub containing water.
Children should never be allowed to swim without adult supervision.
A responsible adult should always be designated to supervise the
children. Their sole responsibility should be to constantly monitor
the children in and near the water.
The person supervising the children should remain by the pool and
stay in constant visual contact with the children. This will allow
him or her to intervene if an emergency were to arise.
Distractions that would take the person’s attention away from the
children for even a few minutes should be avoided. Distractions
include reading, talking on the phone, socializing, watching TV or a
portable DVD player, or preparing food. Remember, it only takes a
few minutes for a child to drown, and distractions will limit the
supervisor's ability to do respond in time. The designated
supervisor must maintain constant vigilance.
Never leave a baby or toddler in the bathtub alone.
Education
As early as possible, teach children water safety, beginning with
taking a bath in the bathtub. Depending on their age, teach them how
to get in and out of the bathtub safely without slipping, how to
play with bathtub toys, and how to behave in the bathtub. A bathtub
is not a good environment for playing rowdy “let’s pretend” games,
for example.
Teach children about the dangers of pools, buckets of water, wading
pools, and any potential water dangers.
Children should be enrolled in swimming lessons by the age of 8.
Before signing up, verify that the lessons are being taught by a
certified instructor and that they include water survival techniques
training, such as treading water and floating.
Parents, older siblings, and caregivers should learn CPR as well as
first aid. Remember that adults can drown, too. Adult CPR should be
learned as well as infant and child CPR. Most classes include both.
With minimal cost, a little time, and a few new habits, you can help
prevent drowning. As parents, or neighbors of couples with children,
we all have the responsibility to take every precaution possible to
ensure the safety of our own children and the children in our
community.
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