Pool Safety
Swimming pools can create many fun and happy summertime memories. My husband and I put in a swim spa so that we could swim year round with our toddler who loves water. She loves her “jumpies” (jumping from the step into our arms). These are memories I will always cherish and would like to keep as positive memories.
Swimming pools can provide a real safety concern for your household, especially if you have young children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC) has estimated that nearly 300 children under the age of 5 drown in swimming pools each year and thousands are rushed to the ER for treatment. For those of you that have a toddler or have every cared for a toddler, you know how quickly they move. You also know that they are impulsive and lack a realistic sense of danger.
Here are some interesting facts about swimming pool safety*:
- Drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths in children under 5
- Most victims were in the presence of one or both of their parents when the swimming pool accident occurred.
- 75% of swimming pool accident victims were missing 5 minutes or less before they were found drowned or submerged.
*Based on an extensive swimming pool study completed by the CPSC
So how do we keep our children safe around swimming pools?
Nothing takes the place of diligent supervision, but as we’ve already discussed toddlers are quick and inquisitive. Constructing a secure barrier around the swimming pool so that there is no access to the pool is the next best way to keep your kids safe. (Remember, many kids are climbers and they will find a way if they want to, so construct your barrier with that in mind)
Here are some of the basic guidelines to pool barriers:
- The top of the barrier should be at least 48” high
- Eliminate and handholds and footholds that a child may be able to climb on the barrier
- Any horizontal bracing should be at least 45” high and on the inside of the barrier itself
- If there is horizontal bracing below 45” high then the spacing between vertical members should not be more than 1 3/4” (based on a child’s foot-width)
- The barrier gate should open out from the pool and should be self closing and self latching. The latch mechanism should be on the side facing the pool and should be within 3” within the top of the barrier, out of reach of the child.
- If your home exterior doors open directly into the pool area the doors should have an alarm feature that sounds when the door is opened (Almost half of the children that who became victims of pool accidents were last seen in the house just before being found in the pool).
You can find more specific city guidelines to pool barriers here, https://my.spokanecity.org/smc/?Section=17C.130.310.
Summary
Enjoy your pool and your family memories, but be sure to have the necessary safety measures in place to keep everyone safe. For more information on pool safety from CPSC visit this link, https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/pools-and-spas.