Pool Fence Safety:
Child Drowning
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 85% of the children who drown each year do so at their own or a friends' pool. The majority of these drownings can be attributed to momentary lapses in parental supervision combined with the lack of proper pool safety barriers.
In California, Arizona and Florida, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in and around the home for children under the age of 5 with a ranking of number two for the nation. Many communities have enacted safety regulations governing residential swimming pools, but it is 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.
Foremost in protecting against drowning, all experts suggest erecting barriers to provide layers of protection for a child who strays from supervision. Barriers include a fence or wall, door alarms for the house, and a power safety cover over the pool.
According to the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, you should install child proof fencing around swimming pools. A successful pool barrier prevents a child from getting OVER, UNDER, or THROUGH and keeps the child from gaining access to the pool except when supervising adults are present. You must be aware of the potentially hazardous properties of a pool. Just how serious is the problem?
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under five in Florida, Arizona, and California with a ranking of number two for the nation.
For every drowning there are eleven near drowning incidents, according to government statistics; many of which result in totally disabling brain damage.
The majority of the parents involved were responsible people who thought it could never happen to their family. They were careful and had close supervision over their children. So we are literally talking about people who could live next door to you.
Supervision Can and Does Fail
A study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to find out how child - drowning incidents occur indicates that supervision can and does fail.
The investigation by the Commission was directed at children under age five in Arizona, California, and Florida who had drown in home swimming pools. The results might help you to better understand why drowning is still the number one killer for three states and stands at number two for the nation:
Who was in charge of supervision at the time of drowning?
- .......-69 percent of the accidents occurred while one or both parents were responsible for supervision.
- .......-10 percent were adults other than the parents.
- .......-14 percent were sitters.
- .......-7 percent were siblings.
- .......-65 percent were in a pool owned by the child's family.
- .......-22 percent were at a relatives' pool.
- .......-11 percent happened at a neighbor's pool.
Reports On Pool Safety
Again, keeping children safe if the most important responsibility for an owner of a pool. But, drowning is a threat to people of any age, not just children under 5. The U.S. Lifesaving Association reported drowning as the leading cause of accidental death for kids under the age of 2, the 2nd leading cause for ages 5-44, and the third most responsible cause of unintentional death overall in the U.S.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted comprehensive research regarding pool safety targeted at children five and under who died accidentally in backyard swimming pools. The reports results are astounding, but can lead to a more thorough understanding of why drowning is the number one killer in such states as Arizona, California, and Florida and why it is the second most cause of unintentional death in the nation:
Here are some statistics from that report:
- - In California, Arizona and Florida, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in and around the home for children under the age of 5.
- - 75% of children involved in swimming pool submersion or drowning accidents were between 1 and 3 years old.
- - Boys between 1 and 3 years old are the most likely victims of fatal drowning accidents and near-fatal submersions in residential swimming pools.
- - Most of the victims were being supervised by one or both parents when the swimming pool accident occurred.
- - Nearly half of the child victims were last seen in the house before the pool accident occurred. In addition, 23 percent of the accident victims were last seen on the porch or patio or in the yard.
- - 65 percent of the accidents occur in a pool owned by the victim's immediate family, and 33 percent of the accidents occurred in pools owned by relatives or friends.
- - Fewer than 2 percent of the pool accidents were a result of children trespassing on property where they didn't live or belong.
- - Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone call. 77 percent of the swimming pool victims had been missing for five minutes or less when they were found in the pool drowned or submerged.
- - Pool drownings are silent deaths. It is unlikely that splashing or screaming will occur to alert a parent or caregiver that a child is in trouble.
A Note to Our Customers
At Production Fenceworks, we take pool fencing very seriously and put the security of our fences before all other things. Because we build a high volume of pool fences for residential customers, home owners associations, hotels, local GA cities and more, we can provide a level of experience and knowledge that cannot be matched. We work closely with pool building contractors and new pool owners all over the North Georgia area, to educate and inform them of different pool fencing codes and requirements, how to understand them and why it's so important to take them seriously.
Pool Safety Information Links
Atlanta Pool Codes
A copy of Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools produced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can be obtained by writing to:
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Pool Barriers
Office of Information & Public Affairs
Washington, D.C., 20207
Or at their Web site: http://www.cpsc.gov
Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/Pool.pdf
Pool Fencing Can Prevent Child Drownings
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml89/89052.html
CPSP Pool and Spa Safety Publications
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/chdrown.html
Pool Safety for Children
http://www.aap.org/family/tipppool.htm
Pool and Spa Emergency Procedures
http://nspi.org/consumer_info/
Drowning Prevention Tips
http://nspi.org/consumer_info/
Physicians Communications Network.
http://www.Medem.com
National Safety Commission
http://www.nsc.org/weekly_articles/poolsafety_kids.aspx
Safety campaign "Look before you Leap."
http://www.greenweb.com.au/lookleap
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
Foundation for Aquatic Injury Prevention
http://www.aquaticisf.org
List of National, State and local resources
http://www.calspec.org/drowning_prevention_tips.htm
National Swimming Pool Foundation
http://www.nspf.com
Injury Free Coalition For Kids
http://www.injuryfree.org
Drowning Prevention Foundation
http://www.drownprevention.com
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