Tips on Swimming Pool Safety
I’m Ed Smith a Modesto personal injury lawyer. Swimming pool season is here and causes many accidental drownings every year. Over half of those who suffer near drownings require hospitalization and some of those suffer permanent brain injuries or damage that affects them for the rest of their lives. Children are particularly vulnerable to accidental and near drownings.
Preventing Entrapment and Drownings
California pool owners, along with those who own spas or hot tubs, must take precautions to prevent accidental drownings or injuries. Use preventative measures to safeguard a pool and the people who use it. A swimming pool accident may cause the death of another person or result in serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries or permanent nerve damage.
- Ensure that pool gates are self-closing, self-latching and child-resistant.
- Get a gate for your pool fence that opens out, not in. That way, even if a small child drags something over to stand on to open the latch, the gate will not open.
- Pools that use a wall of the home as the fourth wall should have an alarm installed on the house’s door and be kept locked at all times. Windows on that side of the house should be secured also, either with latches that prevent someone opening them or window guards that prevent the windows from being opened more than a few inches.
- Alarms come in many varieties and can be purchased for the pool itself, gates or even as individual alarms for children.
- Pool covers may be permanent or portable. They not only help keep the pool area safe but help keep the water clean and free of debris as well as reducing evaporation.
- Pool drains can be a source of danger if a child gets trapped. Covers are available for drains to prevent this from happening. If a drain cover is missing or cracked, do not allow anyone to enter the pool until it is repaired or replaced.
Ways to Help Protect Children
Ways of protecting children against accidental pool drownings are as follows:
- Swimming lessons are an important way to help protect children who are around a swimming pool. However, never assume that children who are swimmers are safe in a pool.
- Teach children pool safety rules and stress their importance.
- Never allow children in a swimming pool without adult supervision.
- Assign an adult who can swim to watch children in the pool. This adult should only be watching and not swimming in the pool at the same time, taking on the phone or reading a book.
- An adult supervising children in the pool should have his or her cell phone along in the event of an emergency.
- For children who are poor swimmers, use safety vests that fit well and are age appropriate. Floaties and other devices of this type are not sufficient to prevent a drowning and are easily removed by a child.
Accidental Drownings
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 3,536 accidental drownings around the nation between 2005 and 2014 or about 10 each day. Two of those 10 were children of 14 or under. Swimming pool negligence occurs when a pool owner fails to provide proper protection around a swimming pool or hot tub to prevent an accident. When a drowning, near drowning or other injury occurs or a loved one is lost through negligence, the family may be entitled to compensation, either through a wrongful death lawsuit or a lawsuit to reimburse medical and other expenses for the injured person.
Related Content by Modesto Personal Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith:
Modesto Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Modesto personal injury lawyer. Drownings are oftentimes preventable tragedies. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a near drowning, you may be able to obtain compensation for your losses. Please feel free to call me at (209) 227-1931 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
In my over 35 year career as an injury lawyer, I have helped many Modesto residents and those in surrounding Northern California with their injury cases, including car accidents and brain injuries.
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Photo Attribution: By “Juan Salamanca” via Pexels
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