Dictionary For Dads

Each year, nationwide, more than 300 children under 5 years old drown in residential swimming pools, usually a pool owned by their family. In addition, more than 2,000 children in that age group are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion injures. All bodies of water especially pools are very dangerous for children.

Dictionary For Dad's recommends that you do not even consider putting a swimming pool in until all your children are at least six years of age or older. Water submersions involving children happen very quickly. A child can drown in a lake, pond, beach or pool in the amount of  time it takes you to answer the door bell. You will not be alerted until it is too late because child drowning is a silent death. There's no splashing or yelling to alert anyone that your child is in trouble.

• Seventy-five percent of the submersion victims were between I and 3 years old. 

• Sixty Five percent of this study group were boys.

• Drowning and Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings.

• When the incident occurred most victims were supervised by one or both parents.Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water.

• Sixty-five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and 33 percent o the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.

• Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.

• Before getting a pool survey the area and include a safety barrier or fence in your budget. If your budget does not allow for that, then wait until it does before you install a pool on your property.

• Install a fence at least 4 feet high around all sides of the pool. This fence should completely separate the pool from your home and the rest of your property. Any gates that provide access to the pool should have self closing springs installed with latches that lock and are not accessible to your children.

• Instruct neighbors, relatives and friends about potential water and pool hazards to children. Advise them to use protective devices tpp minimize the risks, such as fences, door alarms, locks and the need for constant supervision when children are in or around water. You do not want your child or any other in your community being in an unsafe environment. 

• Never leave a child unsupervised anywhere near a pool or shoreline.  Remember to stay alert, if you  become preoccupied, your children are at risk.

• Never use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.

• If a child is missing, always check the pool first. Every second counts in preventing death or disability in a submersion. Go to the  pool and check the entire pool, as well as around the pool area.

• Never allow a young child in the pool without an adult.

• Never consider your children to be safe because they have had swimming lessons. Children must be watched closely while swimming especially on the beach.

• Always remove all toys from the pool, pond, river or lake when your child gets out of the water. This is to insure that children do not get tempted or make the mistake of going back in the water to get a toy.

• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to protect your children and provide them the safety they need.  In addition, only allow others with CPR training to supervise your children in any or body of water, regardless of their family status.

• Always have plenty of good  rescue equipment by the pool, lake, river or beach where you are enjoying recreation with your children.
  

• Install a poolside telephone with emergency numbers posted on the phone or above it for easy access. If you are at a lake or beach make sure you have a cell phone and local emergency numbers at hand.

• Install audible alarms to alert you on any doors that lead from the house to the pool, lake beach or pond area.

•  If you have a pool install a  powered safety barrier that can be placed over the water area of the pool when it is not being supervised. These pool covers easily open and close over the pool.This will provides  even a higher level of safety for your children by inhibiting their access to the water.

• If you decide to purchase any safety cover for your pool, make sure it meet the requirements of the ASTM (originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) This  is an international standards organization that develops and publishes technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM requires that a cover withstand the weight of two adults and a child to allow a rescue should an individual fall onto the cover. The standard also requires quick removal of water from the cover.

• If you have an above ground pool in addition to the above you should always remove the ladder and secure it in a locked shed when the pool is not supervised by an qualified adult.