How Can You Prevent Swimming Pool Accidents?
The National Safety Council offers these safety tips to help you avoid accidents and injuries in and around swimming pools:
- Children should never be alone in or near a pool. A child can lose consciousness within two minutes of going under water.
- Children should only be allowed in or near a pool when there is an adult who knows CPR and is supervising and devoting his full attention to the children. Within four to six minutes of being under water, a child can suffer irreversible brain damage from lack of oxygen.
- Do not let children or adults play around older pool drains.
- Do not let water collect around a pool, and do not allow people to run or engage in horseplay around the pool.
- Everyone in a household with a pool should learn CPR, water rescue techniques, and first aid.
- To avoid diving injuries, consider removing the diving board or slide, to prevent head or spinal cord injuries that could be fatal or cause permanent paralysis.
- Ensure that the pool chemicals are correctly balanced. Out-of-balance chemicals can cause chemical burns or fail to sanitize the water.
- Make sure the pool has barriers or fencing on all sides, with self-closing gates that latch. This can prevent children from suffering injuries in a pool accident.
- Take swimming lessons if you do not know how to swim or need a refresher.
- Keep rescue equipment and first aid supplies on hand. Make sure you have a rescue hook handy.
- Consider installing alarms on the gates that lead to the pool, and an alarm that can notify you that someone is in the pool.
- Make house rules against running and other horseplay near the pool.
We hope this information helps you to avoid a swimming pool injury or tragedy, but no matter how careful one is, accidents can still happen. If you suffer a pool injury that was someone else’s fault, please contact the Law Office of Jason R. Schultz, P.C. We will evaluate your claim at no cost to you.
To schedule your free, no-obligation consultation, give us a call at 404-474-0804 today.
