Lawn furniture, trees and shrubs should not be close enough to provide an easy boost over the fence.
There should be a fence at least six feet high around all sides of the pool with a locked gate to keep children out when there is no supervision and the fence should be constructed so it is difficult to climb. Always put a slide in a deep area of the pool- never in shallow water. Check with a reputable pool contractor to be sure the depth is sufficient for a diving board or slide. Faulty electrical installations could cause serous or fatal electric shock. Ground-fault circuit interrupters are now recommended for pool area installations. Electrical equipment should be installed by a licensed electrician in accordance with local safety codes. There should be a ladder at both ends of the pool. The steps of the pool ladder should be at least three inches wide, and the ladder should have handrails on both sides small enough for a child to grasp. Use non-slip materials on the pool deck, diving board and ladders. Check local ordinances and codes for safety requirements. The Commission also is considering a variety of approaches that could reduce injuries associated with other pool hazards such as sharp edges and protruding bolts, slippery ladders, decks and diving boards, lack of depth indicators, shock hazards from electrical wiring and problems of exploding filter tanks.Ĭommission staff recommend a number of precautionary measures consumers can take to reduce home pool hazards. The severity of injuries associated with swimming pool water slides- permanent disabilities for some adults and children who went head first down the slide and struck the bottom of the pool- led to a Commission decision in June to commence a proceeding to develop a mandatory safety standard or slides. Diving and jumping into shallow water also are major causes of serious injuries.Īlthough many pool accidents are related to running and roughhousing, numerous injuries also are attributed to the pool, its accessories and general environment. Many severe injuries result from falling on slippery walkways and decks and falling from diving boards and ladders. Each year, headlines note the deaths of infants and children who tumble into pools and drown because a gate was left open or they otherwise were able to gain access to a pool when no one was around to save them. Swimming alone or without adult supervision leads to many drownings. The National Safety Council reports that 600 children and adults drown annually in swimming pools, 330 in home pools. Seventy-five per cent of the injured will involve persons 19 and under, and almost twice as many boys as girls will be hurt. The Institute also states there are about 340,300 in-ground pools in hotels, motels, apartments, parks and public facilities, schools, clubs and camps.Ĭommission injury statistics indicate that 39,500 persons, annually will seek hospital emergency room care for injuries involving below-ground pools about 10,000 will need treatment for injuries related to above-ground pools. Residential in-ground pools now number about one million and home above-ground pools are estimated at three million, according to the National Swimming Pool Institute.
0 kommentar(er)
