Stay Safe this Summer, Pool and Water Safety
Safety Message from HFD EMS
April 28, 2008
Question : I have been hearing on the news lately about several children drowning in Houston-area swimming pools. What can I do to protect my children?
Answer: Active, focused, adult supervision is the most important safety measure to prevent a water-related tragedy involving a child. The vast majority of children who drown in pools do so in the backyards of their own homes or of relatives. 1
Use Layers of Protection 2 Layers of protection are essential to prevent swimming pool drownings.
For example, one layer would be to install physical barriers around the pool to limit access. Fences and walls should be at least four-feet high and installed completely around the pool. Gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be out of reach of small children.
If a house forms one side of the barrier for the pool, doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that sound when the doors are unexpectedly opened. Or, use a power safety cover, a motor-powered barrier placed over the water area, to prevent access by young children. For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be secured or removed when the pool is not in use.
Another layer is to enroll children in swimming lessons with a certified instructor. However, swimming lessons don't make your child "drown proof." Remember, flotation devices are not a substitute for supervision.
Finally, be prepared in case of an emergency. Keep rescue equipment and a phone next to the pool. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Question: Where can I learn CPR?
Answer: The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross offer classes in CPR.
Safety Tips
With the approaching warm weather, the Houston Fire Department recommends these following pool safety rules:
Parents-
- NEVER leave a child alone near water
- Always watch your children around swimming pools
- Use approved flotation devices
- If your apartment has a pool, inspect the fence and gate. If the gate does not lock or you find any other defects with the fence, report it to the apartment management
immediately.
- Bring a cell phone to the pool in case of emergency
- Make sure there is no standing water on the pool deck. Standing water is the #1 cause of slips and falls around a pool. NO RUNNING on the pool deck!
- Enroll children over the age of 3 in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors.
- REMEMBER- Swimming lessons do not make your child "Drown-Proof"!
- Always have a first aid kit and emergency contacts handy
- Watch for dangerous "TOOs"- Too Tired, Too Cold, Too Far from Safety, Too Much Sun, Too Much Strenuous Activity
- Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. If lightning and thunder are nearby, get out until the storm has passed.
Teach Your Kids these Safety Tips-
- Always swim with a buddy
- Don't dive into unknown bodies of water. Jump in feet
first to avoid hitting your head on the shallow bottom.
- Don't push or jump on others in or around water
- Swim in supervised areas only
- Obey all rules and posted signs
HFD also recommends parents and guardians learn CPR. Seconds count if a person drowns and performing CPR quickly and correctly can save their life. For more information on local CPR classes, please contact the American Red Cross , your local hospitals or medical schools.
Additional Information
Drownings as they relate to the lack of supervision and barriers (such as pool fencing).
Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools. Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.
Drowning claims the lives of nearly 3,000 people every year. Although all age groups are represented, children four years old and younger have the highest death rate due to drowning. Most drowning and near-drowning incidents happen when a child falls into a pool or is left alone in the bathtub.
Children: In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Although drowning rates have slowly declined (Branche 1999), fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005).
Install a fence at least four-feet high around all four sides of the pool. The fence should not have openings or protrusions that a young child could use to get over, under, or through.
Make sure pool gates open out from the pool, and self-close and self-latch at a height children can't reach.
Never leave children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.
Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd's hook - a long pole with a hook on the end - and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool.
Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
Children may not be developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim programs for children under 4 should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning.
Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm's length, providing "touch supervision."
Drowning is the 3rd major cause of unintentional death in the US, and the 2nd major cause of death for people aged 5-44.
Residential swimming pools account for 60-90% of drownings for children aged 0-4 years. Half of these drownings occur at the child's own home.
Children who drown in residential pools had been:
. last seen inside their home;
. gone for less than 5 minutes; and
. in the care of either or both parents at the time.
Young children (as well as adults) don't splash, struggle or make noise when in danger in water, and often quickly drown in silence.
Statistics
. Every year in Texas about 60 children drown or nearly drown. In fact, drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury deaths among kids under age five. Toddlers may not know how to swim, but they are naturally attracted to water and it only takes a few minutes for a child to drown.
. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury fatalities for children age 4 and younger. For children 14 and younger, drowning is second leading cause of unintentional injury fatalities.
. About 80 percent of drownings occur between May and September, according to Houston-based Save a Life--Prevent a Drowning.
HFD also recommends parents and guardians learn CPR. Seconds count if a person drowns and performing CPR quickly and correctly can save their life. For more information on local CPR classes, please contact the