Water safety

Yesterday we had guest speakers at our MOMS Club monthly social. They were from SwimKids, where Gemma used to take her swimming lessons and they were there to discuss water safety. It was very informative and I thought it was definitely something to pass along to others especially those with small children.

DROWNING PREVENTION TIPS
Swimming pools should always be happy places. Unfortunately, each year thousands of American families confront water related tragedies. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted hearings in July 2004 in Florida and Arizona on this national dilemma. “Swimkids USA and other experts in all areas of pool safety testified and participated in a panel discussion in an effort to develop guidelines for pool barriers, swim instruction and early response. After reviewing a great deal of data on drowning and early childhood behaviors the CPSC adopted specific safety recommendations. It was purported, no one single safety
intervention is child proof, but the parent needs to provide layers of protection for a child who strays from supervision. Barriers such as fences, alarms, covers and swim instruction give parents additional time to locate a child before the unexpected becomes a terrible reality”.
Here are some of their recommendations:

• Barriers are not child proof, but they provide layers of protection for a child
who strays from supervision.
• Barriers give parents additional time to locate a child before the unexpected
becomes a reality.

FENCES & GATES
• Install a fence or wall completely around the pool. If house is part of the
barrier, the doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected
with an alarm.
• The fence or wall should be at least 4 feet high. Vertical fence slates should
be less than 4 inches apart.
• Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be well
out of a child’s reach.

DOOR ALARMS
• If the house forms one side of the barrier then doors leading from the house
to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce an audible sound
when a door is unexpectedly opened.

SAFETY COVERS
• A safety cover should withstand the weight of two adults and a child to allow
a rescue should an individual fall onto the cover. A way should be provided
for quick removal of water from a solid cover.

ABOVE-GROUND POOLS
• Steps and ladders leading from the ground to the pool should be secured and
locked or removed when not in use.