Understanding Pool Safety

It's the time of year when kid's cant resist their desire to go in the pool. However, along with the fun comes serious dangers. These dangers include drowning, slips and falls, and risky diving. Drowning is the second-leading cause of injury related deaths among children ages 1 to 14 in the United States. For every child who drowns, four children are injured through submersion. What is most surprising is that most of these injuries occur when the child is under the supervision of an adult!

Diving into pools can be the cause of severe injuries, such as paralysis. 16,000 people under the age of 16 years-old are injured every year due to diving into pools, and 20% of these kids suffer a severe spinal cord injury. Furthermore, reckless sports play around pools also lead many injuries a year, especially if the surface is wet.

Recent attention has been pointed towards the risk of entrapment in pool drains. A report by the Pool Safety Council was established in spring 2011 on these issues. It mandates certain types of drain covers to reduce the risk of entrapment.

What can YOU DO to prevent these types of risks around the pool? A lot of it is common sense, like "don't jump in shallow water" and "alcohol and diving do not mix well." Motorized pool covers prevent slip and falls from becoming more severe than they ought to be. You should also make sure to have alerts or alarms for the doors opening up into the pool. This lets the parent know if someone has gone outside into the pool area. For more tips on pool safety, visit www.cdc.gov or www.poolsafely.gov.