Articles Posted in Pool Injuries and Drowning

Now that the summer months are approaching, many people look forward to opening their swimming pools at home. However, while fun, swimming pools are also a source of danger, especially for young children. Each year, children are rushed to local emergency rooms as Davie brain injury patients or spinal cord injury patients due to pool-related injuries. In addition, many children suffer near-drowning or even fatal injuries caused by swimming pool injuries. To prevent a Davie swimming pool accident at your home, experts advise:

1) Adding the right fence. The right fence should completely surround the pool area and should come with a self-locking gate. This fence should be in addition to any other property fencing your yard has. According to the CDC, a four-sided isolation pool fence reduces drowning by 83% when compared with three-sided general property fences.

2) Ban alcohol at pool parties. While many homeowners combine barbecue, alcoholic beverages, and pool parties, but it can be a deadly mix. According to the CDC, many drowning deaths involve alcohol use. Alcohol affects judgment and balance, and can easily cause a drowning death or pool injury. Alcohol is also a leading cause of Florida and Davie boating accidents.

3) Add other safety features for your pool area. While a self-locking gate and isolating fence are the basic safety requirements, there are many safety devices that can help make your pool safer, and these devices are more affordable today than ever before. For example, one of the best safety devices you can buy for your pool area is an alarm that can alert you anytime someone enters the pool area.

4) Ensure that everyone in your family is a good swimmer. Excellent swimming skills can reduce the risk of drowning. According to the CDC, signing up children between the ages of one and four for swimming lessons can reduce the risk of accidental drowning by 88%.

5) Add no-slip treads around your pool area. In addition to drowning, many Davie pool-related injuries include Davie brain injuries and spinal cord injuries caused by falls. In many cases, the wet area surrounding a pool can facilitate Davie slip and fall accidents. Adding no-slip treads can help prevent these types of accidents on your property. Enforcing a no-running rule in the pool area is also important to help prevent Davie slip and fall injuries.

6) Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as well as other first aid lessons. If an accident does occur at your home, you will be able to help until emergency personnel arrive.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately ten Americans die from drowning each day, with about 20% of victims being children age 14 or younger. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for young children and the sixth leading cause of death for all Americans. There are many risk factors associated with drowning and pool accidents:

1) Race and ethnicity. According to the CDC, drowning rates for children vary by ethnicity and race. For example, the drowning rate for African-American children is 3.1 times higher than for Caucasian children. The drowning rate for young Native American children is 2.3 times higher than for Caucasian children in the same age range. Cultural, social, and access issue may contribute to this.

2) Age. Children between the ages of one and four have the highest drowning rate of all ages. Part of the reason for this is because children in this age group often do not yet have the swimming skills needed to protect themselves from drowning. As well, young children are often very attracted to the water and have fewer fears about the dangers of water.

3) Gender. According to the CDC, 80% of drowning victims are male.

4) Barriers and physical safety devices. According to the CDC, most drownings of children between the ages of 1 and 4 occur in residential swimming pools. In most of these cases, children are out of sight for under 5 minutes, are supervised, and are last seen in the home. In other words, in most of these cases, drownings occur because a child wanders away towards water, even when the child is being supervised. Barriers are designed to help prevent just this type of incident. Most experts recommend at least a high-walled four-sided fence around the pool area as well as a safe locking gate. There are many additional safety items – such as alarms – that can also make the pool area safer and there are safety items that can be used in any water settings as well. When boating, for example, life jackets can reduce the risk of drowning substantially.

5) Supervision. Supervision – by a qualified lifeguard at a pool or a parent during bath time — helps prevent drowning. However, it is important to ensure that children are supervised at all times when they are near water, since Deerfield Beach drowning and pool accidents can take place at any time. Supervision can also help prevent other accidents, including Deerfield Beach slip and fall accidents and other Deerfield Beach accidents involving minors or children.

6) Location. Very young children are most likely to drown in a residential swimming pool, but according to the CDC, 65% of drowning victims over the age of 14 died in a natural water setting.

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Florida is the leading state for drowning deaths involving children under the age of five. It is also one of the leading states for boating accidents. Florida’s many waterways provide countless hours of fun, but they can also be deadly. There are many things that can be done to help prevent tragedies this summer:

1) Be careful of any water that is two inches or more in depth. A child can drown in minutes in just two inches of water, so it’s not just pools that need to be secured. Wading pools, inflatable pools, and even a bathtub can be dangerous for small children.

2) Secure all access to water. Most parents know that they need to secure a pool. However, a vacation home near a lake can pose new challenges, since toddlers are drawn to water. In many cases, drowning and water-related injuries occur when a small child wanders away from a supervised area and into water.

3) Teach children swimming skills and early. There are many swimming classes and courses available during the summer, and many focus on water safety. These classes can teach children the basics about water – such as the importance of never swimming along and the importance of not swimming after a meal – as well as the skills needed to get out of the water. For their own safety, children should be taught to swim early and should receive instruction until they are proficient swimmers and have a healthy respect for the water.

4) On a boat or any water recreational device, wear life jackets. Recreational boats – such as kayaks for kids and paddle boats – are more accessible and affordable than ever before. However, any water craft – even one that looks like a toy – poses risks. Have your children wear life jackets each time they get on a watercraft.

5) Rely on supervision. Good supervision is vital for ensuring that children do not take risks around the water. Supervision also ensures that children who do get into trouble in the water get help quickly. It is best to have groups of adults supervise children around water. Take breaks and work in shifts to ensure that adults stay alert and can focus on talking and relaxing as well as keeping everyone safe.

6) Teach your teens about diving safely. Older children and teens are inevitably drawn to Florida’s many water holes and swimming areas. Unfortunately, children and teens often take risks around the water, including diving into natural waterways. This behavior leads to many Florida spinal cord injuries and brain injuries, since in some cases the water is simply not deep enough for diving. Prohibit your teens and children from diving anywhere but the deep end of a pool. As well, teach your children and teens to evaluate the depth and safety of water before diving.

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At this time of year, many Florida residents are considering their swimming pools. Now that the weather is in the mid 60s Fahrenheit (about 18 degrees Celsius) it’s warm enough to swim. Some early birds are opening up their pools for the spring and summer while others are waiting for warmer weather still before getting the pool ready. In any event, this is a good time to reexamine your pool and your pools safety.

At this time of year, many tourists arrive in Florida to take advantage of spring break or to get away from the winter that is raging in the more Northern areas of the country. More tourists and more children can mean more Florida premises liability issues, so it’s a good idea to ensure that your pool area is safe and secure. As well, since swimming weather will be with us soon, now is a good time to ensure that your pool is safe and sound for winter. Here are some good tips for getting ready:

1) Review your gates and fences. A good pool area should be fully enclosed with a tall fence and a self-closing gate that locks. To prevent children from breaking into the area, it is a good idea to have an alarm installed to ensure that you are alerted in case anyone tries to enter the pool area.

2) Review your safety rules. This is a good time to review pool safety rules with your children and your family. Consider writing the rules out and posting them in your home or near the pool area so that everyone can get used to the rules.

3) Maintain the pool area. If your pool area has been closed, animals may have moved in, the area may need a good cleaning to prevent slippery spots, and some things may have been damaged in winds or storms. Now is a good time to review everything to see whether any repairs need to be made to keep your pool area safe. Right now, you can get pool maintenance while saving money as well, because the summer rush is not on.

4) Upgrade your safety equipment. Many pool accessories are arriving in stores. Now is a good time to get some added safety features, such as an alarm for your gate, no-slip treads for pool side, a safer pool cover, a poolside first-aid kit and other safety accessories.

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At this time of year, many homeowners open their pools for the summer. If you have an outdoor pool, you may hire someone to open the pool or decide to open it yourself. After the pool cover has been lifted and the water cleaned and ready, however, you need to finish opening your pool by inspecting your pool area for safety. Whether you open your pool yourself, or have someone else do this for you, you need to personally:

1) Check the pool area for any signs of damage. Check handrails, ladders, diving board, pool cover, and the pool itself. Wear and tear as well as damage can make swimming in your pool less safe and can make you vulnerable to injury. For example, you will want to check your diving board carefully. A poorly maintained diving board can break and cause a swimmer to go into a free fall, which can lead to spinal cord injuries or brain injuries. If your diving board has any stress cracks, replace it. Your board should have a non-skid surface. If the surface is smooth, there are refinishing kits which allow you to add a non-skid surface to your diving board for a reasonable cost.

2) Pay attention to your fencing and gate. Premises liability cases can easily result if your fence and gate are not well maintained. Now that you will be entering and leaving the pool area regularly, you will need to make sure that the gate and fence are secure. Consider installing an alarm to alert you to when someone enters the pool area. This will prevent children from wandering near the pool unsupervised. Studies have suggested that isolation fences are the best defense, and can prevent 50 to 90% of child drownings when used correctly. Considering that drowning is the second-leading cause of toddler deaths related to injury, according to reports by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), isolation fences are a good idea. Isolation fences can also help prevent injuries. According to some research, for every child who drowns in a pool, between 3 and 8 other children are taken to an emergency room for pool-related submersion injuries, which can result in permanent damage. In addition to isolation fencing, homeowners with pools may want to install property-line fencing as an added layer of protection. All isolation fences around pools should include a self-latching, self-closing gate, as these gates offer the most protection.

Even though most homeowner do not consider their pools while the weather is cold – and the recent cold snap in parts of Florida is unlikely to make anyone crave an outdoor swim – any homeowners with a pool are still responsible for preventing pool accidents and drowning. Pool accidents are a major cause of injuries to minors and children, especially.

Children can easily fall into a pool or drown in the water. Even a pool that has been correctly covered for the winter can pose a drowning risk if curious children enter the pool area. Children who illegally access your pool area can still become killed or injured if they are able to crawl under a pool cover or fall into a pool. Even small animals can become trapped in your pool and die. If it has been a while since you have looked at your pool area, you will want to have a look.

Even in the winter, it is a good idea to check your pool area at least once a month and after any bout of severe weather. Your pool area should be secured with a tall fence and a gate with a good lock. However, keep in mind that children can scale or climb over fences, so the fence alone may not be adequate to prevent forced entry. Always carefully check your gate and lock when inspecting your pool area to check for signs of tampering or wear. Check all parts of your fence to ensure that it is sturdy and not in need of repairs. If you notice signs of tampering, report the crime at once and ensure that the area is secured to prevent further break-ins.

Now that the days are shorter and cooler, most people are closing up their pools. Since more people will be visiting your home during the upcoming holidays and since you will have likely less time to watch your pool area closely now that it is not in use, you must take care to carefully secure your pool until the next swimming season to prevent possible property liability issues. Here are some risk factors to consider:

1) Barriers and locked gates. Most young children who drown in a pool were not last seen by a pool. In fact, most were seen in the home and wandered into the pool area without adult supervision. In many cases, young drowning victims were out of their caregivers’ sight for less than five minutes. These statutes point to the absolute necessity of a good barrier and a locked gate. Make sure that the barrier or fence around your pool is secure, whole, and not in need of repair. Make sure it cannot easily be climbed – if there are trees or bushes nearby, trim them back to ensure that no one can climb over the fence. Secure the fence with a good-quality gate that is kept locked at all times. Keep the keys to the gate well out of reach of children.

2) Alcohol. If you have a final pool party, do not serve alcohol. Alcohol does not allow for proper supervision of people near your pool and increases the odds that a drowning will take place.

Among children between the ages of one and fourteen, drowning is the second major cause of injury-related fatalities. Most children who drown are swimming in an open water area or in a residential swimming pool at the time of the accident. However, parents do not need to worry just about pools and swimming areas. It is possible for a small child to drown in as little as one inch of water. Bathtubs, buckets, wading pools, toilets, hot tubs, spas, and even diaper pails can all pose a risk for drowning.

Drowning is extremely frightening because it can occur so quickly and quietly. In many cases, a drowning or an injury and near-drowning can occur in just a few seconds. In many cases, a drowning can occur in just a few moments, when a child is left unattended or is left unnoticed among a larger group of children. A child can easily panic and become submerged under water. A child can also hit their head and lose consciousness due to their brain injury, drowning before an adult can notice the child is in distress. Some children may get sucked under water by currents or by a pool drain and get stuck.

After a child becomes submerged and two minutes pass, the child will lose consciousness. Four to six minutes after submersion, irreversible brain damage has usually occurred. Time is essential. About 92% children who survive a near-drowning incident are discovered within two minutes of becoming submerged, while 86% of children who die as a result of drowning are found only 10 minutes after submersion. Studies have found that up to 20% of children who suffer a near-drowning incident suffer brain injuries or some neurological disability as a result of their experience. In many cases, this head trauma is a permanent injury.

Many Florida homes have a swimming pool in the yard and children at home. After all, Florida is not only a great place to raise children, but it is also a place where swimming pools can be enjoyed for much longer, thanks to a gorgeous climate. While children love swimming pools, though, adults need to take steps to prevent pool accidents. Whether you have a child at home or child visitors to your home, you need to keep your pool secure in order to prevent tragedy and premises liability cases. Since you cannot supervise your pool around the clock, make sure that you:

1) Put up a fence around your pool. Even if your yard is enclosed by a fence, construct a separate fence around the pool to keep visitors to your yard from accessing the pool area easily. Make sure that the pool fence is tall enough that it cannot be climbed easily and add a good gate and lock to keep trespassers out. Keep the gate locked at all times unless the pool is in use and correctly supervised.

2) Place a pool cover over the pool when not swimming. A pool cover prevents children from falling into the pool and injuring themselves. It can also help prevent leaves and other debris from falling into a pool. Keep in mind, however, that a pool cover still allows children access to your pool and is not a good alternative to a fence and locked gate.