There's nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a dip in a cool pool. But there are plenty of potential hazards poolside, so be informed and alert in order to ensure the safety of your friends and family.
Recently the Gloucester Township Police Department responded to a child who was found submerged in small blow up pool filled with water. Fortunately the child survived and is recovering.
Please be familiar with ways of childproofing your pool and maintain a safe swimming environment to prevent accidents.
Children can drown in less than 2 inches of water. That means drowning can happen in a sink, toilet bowl, fountains, buckets, inflatable pools, or small bodies of standing water around your home, such as ditches filled with rainwater.
- Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool including a portable "kiddy" pool even for a few seconds.
- Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
- During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a ''designated watcher'' to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the ''watcher.'' When adults become preoccupied, children are at risk.
- Do not consider young children ''drown-proof'' because they have had swimming lessons. They should still always be watched carefully while swimming.
- Completely fence the pool and install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position latches out of reach of young children.
- Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Baby sitters and other caretakers, such as grandparents and older siblings should also know CPR.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing a death or disability
- Faulty or missing drain covers can be an entrapment hazard to swimmers, so make sure your pool and all its drains, pipes, and openings have been inspected by a pool safety inspector. Advise children to stay away from drains and openings while swimming.
