 Swimming pool accidents are hardly ever minor. Deep water, rough-housing kids, cement corners, inattentive lifeguards, poorly maintained equipment-these are some of the top threats to children’s safety at community and private pools.
As parents, you want your children to enjoy their time in the water. But – also as parents – you need to take every available step to make sure they are safe. There are actions you can take to help keep your children safe, and there are questions you should ask about the pools where your children swim.
As a parent, you can:
- Enroll your children in a water safety class that concludes with a safe swimmer certification.
- Keep a fully charged cell phone with you whenever your family is at the pool.
- Learn CPR.
- Pay special attention to your children under 5, who are at higher risk of pool-related submersion deaths and injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Ask these questions at community pools where your children swim:
- Are lifeguards trained and certified?
- When was the last time the pool drains and pumps were serviced? Do you make service records available to pool users?
- What was the last injury at the pool?
- How do you decide how many lifeguards to staff
- Where is life-saving equipment located? When is the last time it was checked for wear and tear?
- Do your pool drains use the new safety covers required by the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act?
If your children swim in private residential pools, whether your own or someone else’s, check these issues to decrease the risk of drowning or drain entrapment:
- Is there a 4-foot or higher fence around the entire pool?
- Does the pool gate use self-closing hinges and self-latching latches?
- Does the hot tub or spa have a locking safety cover?
- Is life-saving equipment located nearby? Is it in good working order?
- Is a fully charged phone kept near the pool at all times?
- Does the pool use safety drain covers?
- When was the last time the pool pump and drains were serviced?
- Are pool and gate alarms installed?
- Have you considered a surface wave or underwater alarm?
Learn more about swimming pool safety at the U.S. government’s “Pool Safely” website.
If you or someone you love has been hurt because of the carelessness or negligence of another person, we can help. Contact us by e-mail or call us at 410-740-0101 to schedule an appointment. We represent personal injury victims in Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland