Drowning statistics
Warmer days are coming, and this means families are heading to swimming pools, lakes and beaches. Swimming is fun, but it also comes with its risks. As per the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), residential swimming pools are the leading cause of drowning incidents involving victims 5-years-old and below. Residential spas and pools account for 87% of reported fatalities.
Pool safety
Whether or not you’re using residential pools or public pools, it pays to stay alert. It’s impossible to keep kids away from pools this time of the year, so how will you keep them safe while swimming? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Surround your pool with a fence or barrier to prevent unattended access. Kids are naturally curious and playful. They like to experiment on anything they deem fun. So, to help keep them safe, see to it that your pool has self-closing barriers or a safety cover.
- When swimming with kids, make sure that someone is assigned to monitor them.
- Learn or have someone around who knows CPR. CPR has saved lives. It’s important to know how to properly perform CPR and stay close enough to the pool to provide immediate assistance, if needed. Also, make sure that kids who do not know how to swim well are wearing age-appropriate life jackets. It’s also beneficial if kids are enrolled in swimming courses while they are young.
- Make sure to keep your pool clean to protect your kids from skin irritation or from more serious diseases.
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As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I would like to remind parents to always keep an eye on your kids. Don’t let any of your loved ones get hurt by preventable accidents. Practice safety measures when going to pools and talk to your kids about pool safety.