CPSC Urges Pool Owners to Take Precautions to Prevent Drownings
More than 375 children under 5 years old drown in pools each year
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Around much of the nation, Memorial Day weekend
signals the time to open the family pool for the summer. Pool owners,
especially those with young children and grandchildren, should always
keep in mind the deadly hazards a pool can pose. A young child can drown
quickly and silently, often without any splashing or screaming. It can
happen in just the few minutes it takes to answer the telephone.
More than 375 children under 5 years old drown in pools each year
nationwide -- most in residential pools. Drowning ranks as the leading
cause of death to young children in several sunbelt states. The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds pool owners there are
steps they can take to avoid these drownings.
"There is nothing worse than the death of a child. CPSC is urging
pool owners to take the necessary precautions to prevent more of these
drownings," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "The keys to preventing these
tragedies are placing barriers around your pool, closely supervising
your child and being prepared in case of an emergency."
Physical barriers designed to limit access to pools provide an
important layer of security. Effective barriers include fences or walls,
and power safety covers over pools.
Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high and installed
completely around the pool. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-
latching. The latch should be out of a small child's reach.
If your house forms one side of the barrier for the pool, then
doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms
that produce an audible sound when a door is unexpectedly opened. A
power safety cover, a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the
water area, can be used as an alternative to door alarms.
For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be
secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.
"Barriers are not foolproof protection from drowning," Brown said.
"Supervision also is key to prevention, especially with toddlers.
Because their capabilities change everyday, toddlers often do the
unexpected, like opening closed pool gates they previously could not
open."
Flotation devices are never to be used as a substitute for
supervision, and knowing how to swim doesn't make a child drownproof.
Watch children closely while they are in the pool.
If a child is missing, always look in the pool first. Seconds
count in preventing death or disability. Keep rescue equipment by the
pool, and be sure a phone is poolside with emergency numbers posted.
Parents and other caregivers, such as grandparents, babysitters
and older siblings, who know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can
greatly improve a drowning victim's chances for survival.
CPSC offers three free publications consumers can use to help
prevent child drowning: "Safety Barrier Guidelines for Pools," "How to
Plan for the Unexpected" and "Guidelines for Entrapment Hazards: Making
Pools and Spas Safer." Some localities have incorporated the CPSC
guidelines into their building codes and regulations.
Copies of these publications can be obtained
here on CPSC's website,
or by writing to "Pool Safety", CPSC, Washington, D.C., 20207. Information
on ordering these publications is also available by calling the CPSC
Hotline, (800) 638-2772.