Most people think I worry too much, which I don't think is possible when it comes to safety of your child, so I did what I always so - a little research! According the US Safety Commission, 75% of all accidental pool submersion drownings, involved children between the ages of one and three. They reported that 65% of all these accidental drowning occurred in a pool owned by the child's family and 33% happened in a pool owned by relatives and friends. Folks, that means 98% of all drowning accidents happened in their own pool, their family's pool, or a friend's pool. I decided I had plenty of reason to worry!
I've found a few ways to make sure your pool area is as safe as possible. During the summer months, the majority of families leave their pool uncovered. This is a big no-no, as 2/3 of all those drownings I mentioned earlier, occurred during the summer, when the pool is not in use. Invest in strong pool cover, a mesh cover is a must for protecting your family and your pool. There are also covers that use solar energy to warm the water, in case you were thinking "how else will my pool ever warm up if it's always covered?" Not only are you preventing your family from a potential devastating loss, but you are all also avoid a possible legal battle and lawsuit.
I was surprised to read that a large number of these accidents occur during the off season months. A lot of pool owners use old or weak covers to protect their pool after they've closed it up for the season. Winter Pool Covers not only protect your kids, they also prevent pools from icing over- which opens up an entire new can can of worms. If your pool cover has a hole in it, don't tape it up! Get a new one or have a professional fix it.
In ground pool owners are not the only ones that need to worry about this, a large number of these accidents happen in above ground pools- especially during wintertime. Winterizing your above ground pool is 100% necessary if you want to keep it healthy and safe. Most people tend to worry about children falling in a pool and drowning, and forget about the possibility of an inquisitive four year old climbing on top of their pool- to a kid it probably looks like a big trampoline! Having a strong, stable cover is just as important on an above ground pool as it is for an in ground pool.
Benjamin Franklin once said, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you are one of those lucky people with your own pool, please make sure you've taken every possible measure to ensure the safety of a child.
1 comments:
When Aeryn was born I was living in Arizona and let me tell you - I got so sick every time there was "another" child drowning in the news. And you're totally right - it was usually with family. SO SO SO SO SO sad. Absolutely broke my heart to hear about. You're worry is justified - don't ever forget that.
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