Swimming Pool Safety Measures: Part 1

Swimming Pool Safety – Pool Fencing

Swimming Pool Safety – Protecting Children From Drowning

Drowning is often a “silent death” because a victim is usually unable to splash violently or call for help, as one might expect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 1-14 years old, and an extensive study performed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that “75 percent of the children involved in swimming pool submersion or drowning tragedies were between 1 and 3 years old.”

In addition, the CPSC’s study revealed the following statistics: the victims were typically 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. Twenty-three percent of the victims were last seen on the porch, patio, or in the yard. Sixty-nine percent of the children who became victims in swimming pool accidents were not expected to be in or at the pool, but were found drowned or submerged in the water. Protecting children from drowning or becoming submerged in a backyard swimming pool calls for more than a single type of safety device. Providing “layers of protection” is the best strategy for keeping children safe in and around the pool.

Swimming Pool Safety – Pool Fencing

The first step for swimming pool safety or layer of protection is a barrier that surrounds the pool area; generally, this is a pool fence or wall. Swimming Pool Safety begins with Fences or other barriers around the pool area that should be at least four feet high, and the spaces between slats or holes in the barrier need to be so close together that it stops a child from gaining a handhold or foothold which would allow them access to the other side of the barrier. Any gates in the fence around your backyard swimming pool should have the ability to close and latch by themselves so there is no incidence of the gates standing open for any length of time. In addition, gate latches must be adhered high on the barrier out of the reach of children.

Door Alarm

Any door that comes from the house to the pool area should be equipped with an alarm that provides a warning sound if the door is opened. Door alarms should sound within 7 seconds after a door is opened and for a duration of at least 30 seconds, and the sound of the door alarm should be loud and distinct to avoid confusing it with another alarm that may be in the house. In addition, door alarms should be equipped with a switch or keypad to allow adults to enter or leave through the door without the alarm sounding. This switch or keypad needs to be installed high on the interior wall out of a child’s reach.

Swimming Pool Safety Cover

The next layer of protection is a pool safety cover. Solar pool covers and winter pool covers are not safety covers. In fact, solar covers and winter covers could possibly be very dangerous because a person who steps out onto the cover while it is on the pool will quickly become trapped as the pool cover sinks into the water. Escape is extremely difficult without immediate assistance. When installed, a safety pool cover must be able to hold a minimum of 485 pounds per 5 square feet, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F1346-91. Pool safety covers are anchored to a deck with straps . The straps usually attach to stainless steel springs and are anchored to recessed brackets in a deck surface. A mesh pool cover does not allow water to stand on the cover, but debris may accumulate in the pool while the cover is in use. A solid cover prevents debris from accumulating in the pool, but it does not allow rain and snow to drain through; as a result, the pool cover can sag and present a drowning danger to small children who may wander onto the cover if not carefully supervised. Choosing a solid pool cover with drain panels or obtaining a cover pump to remove the accumulated water is recommended.

Pool Alarm

Another layer of protection is a pool alarm. Pool alarms come in different varieties. Some are designed to detect movement on the top of the pool’s surface, some are developed to detect underwater disturbances, some act like motion detectors using infrared beams, and some are worn on the wrist and sound an alarm when the device is submerged. The topic of pool alarms is described in more detail in Part 2 of this article.

Adult Supervision

No matter how many safety precautions are taken to protect children from submersion and drowning accidents in the backyard swimming pool, close and constant supervision by a responsible adult is the most important “layer of protection” for keeping children safe. Believing that a child is a good swimmer and providing them with flotation devices cannot ever take the place of adult supervision. Using most of these protective measures described in this article is the best defense in preventing children from experiencing a “silent death” by drowning in the backyard swimming pool.

Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/communication/tips/drowning.htm.
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #359. “How to plan for the unexpected: Prevent Child Drownings.”
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Document #362. “Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools”