Child Safety Friday: Pool Safety
Though fall has technically arrived here in Southern California, we have not been feeling it weather wise! With temperatures reaching the mid 90’s in some parts of Orange County, we decided that this week’s child safety topic should be on pool safety. Here, our personal injury lawyer put together some helpful tools when taking our kids out to the pool on those warmer days.
- No running while around the pool – this helps to prevent any slips or falls into the pool or around the pool
- Keep toys away from the pool when the pool is not in use
- Make sure there is an adult supervising at all times when children are present
- No diving if the pool is not deep enough
- Do not run on the diving board
- No electrical appliances near the pool
- Don’t chew gum or eat candy while swimming
- Make sure that you have a fence around the pool area and that the fence is latched at all times
- Make sure the the fence is climb resistant
- The fence should be at least 4 feet high and have no footholds or handholds that can make it easy for children to climb
- Fences should not have more than 4 inches in between the vertical slats. Chain linked fences are very easy to climb and are not recommended
- Make sure that the gate is well maintained and is self-closing and latches behind. the latches should be higher than a child can reach.
- For above ground pools, always keep children away from the steps or ladders.
- When the pool is not in use, lock or remove any ladders so as to prevent access to children.
- It may be a good idea to put door alarms to house or window guards to make sure that children are not rushing to the pool area unsupervised.
- Automatic pool covers should be used when the pool is not in use
- Check how deep the water is.
- Swim at a depth that is comfortable for the children
- Don’t push or jump on others – children can accidentally hurt themselves or others
- Make sure that children, especially those who are new to swimming and still learning, enter the pool feet first and in the shallowest part of the pool
- Never dive into inner tubes or other pool toys, there could be other children around that you do not see
While some swim programs claim to teach water survival skills to young children, studies do not show that they are effective in preventing drowning. When learning to dive, it is necessary to learn to dive safely into the pool as serious spinal cord injuries can occur if not done properly.
Making sure our kids are safe is the most important thing and sometimes our children like to be little fish. Letting them explore and have fun in the water is a blessing to watch – keeping them safe and secure is even more so.
Are You Suffering Due to an Accident? Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today!
Suffering from, or having a family member suffer from drowning injuries due to the negligence of another can be very difficult. We know this because we see this all the time. We also know that the last thing you will want to deal with are insurance adjusters. That is why we are here, fighting for you. It is our goal, after your accident, to take the burden of the case from your shoulders. This is so the only thing you need to focus on is healing from your injuries.