Pool Safety Information
Welcome to the safety archive! Using common sense, caution and
standard practices can keep chemical applicators and pool users safe from harm. I wish to
acknowledge the
National Spa & Pool Institute
for their work in pool and spa safety and their contributions to this page. Visit the
Poolcenter.com
Library for links to other safety sites we recommend.
Safety around a swimming pool is an issue addressed by pool &
spa professionals, their
trade associations, and your
local government in cooperation with consumer focus groups.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission has produced a page on
pool safety and safety products. Pools and spas are not considered dangerous, yet the lack
of proper precaution or available
safety products can create
hazardous conditions or liability concerns for the pool owner. Drowning can occur in a
split second to people of all ages and swimming ability. Spinal injuries continue to
happen from improper diving, to slip and fall cases that could end up in court,
to the use of
hazardous materials requiring a visit to the emergency room. The
information below is divided into 2 categories: 1 - Drowning & Accident Prevention and
2 - Chemical Use and Storage Safety.
Drowning & Accident Prevention
NSPI statistics show that drowning and swimming accidents are best
prevented by adult supervision, public awareness programs including water safety
training for young children, and not drinking alcohol while swimming, diving or soaking.
Statistically, most accidents involving drowning or severe injury occur to children under
5 years of age who are unsupervised, cannot swim, and fall into a pool or pool cover with
water on top. Toddlers at the age of 2 or 3 are most likely to wander off from a
parent's supervision. Barriers such as
fences or back doors are often left unlocked.
Drowning is NOT accompanied by loud noise or splashing sounds.
DROWNING IS SILENT!
To prevent child-drowning, there is NO substitute for parental supervision.
The second largest number of accidental injuries
occur to teenagers, primarily males. Often the
victim has been drinking alcohol and has dove
into the pool in an area too shallow for diving,
or from a location not intended for diving (like
the roof of the house). Many of those who "drink
and dive" end up in a wheelchair, if they're
lucky. Alcohol and spas are also a potentially
lethal combination; the hot water and the
alcohol combine to cause individuals to fall
asleep and drown in only three feet of water.
Other hazards exist, like standing water on top of solid pool
covers. Small children and animals can drown in as little as a few inches of water.
Cover
pumps are available and must be used, or switch to a
mesh type
safety cover.
Solar blankets or
solid covers must be completely removed before entering the
water. Entrapment by the suction of a single main drain on long hair or small arms and
legs has been the cause of drowning in the past. New standards require double main drains
or a safety switch to prevent this.
In some areas of the
nation's sunbelt, drowning has been the leading cause of accidental death in the home of
children under 5 years old. The information below can help parents and caregivers provide
young children with the protection they deserve. Each year, nationwide, more than 300 children under 5 years old drown in residential
swimming pools, usually a pool owned by their family. In addition, more than 2,000
children in that age group are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion injures. Medical costs for submersion victims during the initial hospitalization alone can be quite
high. Costs can range from an estimated $2,000 for a victim who recovers fully to $80,000
for a victim with severe brain damage. Some severely brain damaged victims have initial
hospital stays in excess of 120 days and expenses in excess of $150,000. Many communities have enacted safety regulations governing residential swimming pools --
in-ground and above-ground. It's up to parents to comply with these regulations. Apart from
these laws, parents who own pools can take their own precautions to reduce the chances of
their youngsters accessing the family pool or spa without adult supervision.
Facts & Figures
The following are just a few facts uncovered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a comprehensive study of drowning and submersion incidents
involving children under 5 years old in Arizona, California, and Florida.
-
Seventy-five percent of the submersion victims studied by CPSC were between 1 and 3
years old; 65 percent of this group were boys. Toddlers, in particular, often do something
unexpected because their capabilities change daily.
-
At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents.
Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in
the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the
accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool,
yet they were found in the water.
-
Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings.
Sixty-five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and 33
percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.
-
Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it
takes to answer a phone. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight
for 5 minutes or less.
-
Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process,
even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain
damage.
-
Child drowning is a silent death. There's no splashing to alert anyone that the child is
in trouble.
More NSPI (National
Spa & Pool Institute) Drowning Prevention Tips
-
There is
NO substitute for adequate supervision. The
"buddy system" of two children, is no substitute. Even people that can swim,
very well, can drown when they bump their head, become entrapped, or have medical
emergencies like seizures or black outs. DON'T LET THEM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT!
-
Pools and spas are attractive to children; what the court calls an
"attractive nuisance". There must be a permanent barrier to entry. Local
ordinances will specify a 3-sided or a 4-sided, non-climbable
fence with self-closing,
self-latching mechanisms on the gate. The gate should be locked when the pool is not in
use. Do not place chairs or tables near a fence which would allow a child to climb over.
Portable, above ground spas should have a hard
top that locks on, preventing its use.
-
In addition to a barrier around the pool, NSPI promotes an idea called
Layers of
Protection, and has produced a pamphlet under the same name. This is the combination of
many safety features working together to form several "layers" of safety
protection around a swimming pool or spa. A simple fence just won't do to protect the pool
when it is not under supervision.
Door exit alarms, infrared detectors or security
cameras. Pool alarms, child alarms, or
pool safety covers will all help to prevent
accidents.
-
Ensure that the pool is in clear view from the house, and not obstructed by
plants, canopies, solid fences, or darkness. This is not so that you can watch your
swimmers from the house; rather to ensure that the pool is not in use when it is not
supposed to be. (continued........)
|
