Summer Safety Tips for Parents

S.I. PREMIERE PROPERTIES SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

With the highly anticipated summer months here,

children are all excited to relax and enjoy the sunny weather.

While the summer is filled with long days of warm weather,

planning pool parties and backyard gatherings,
parents must prepare for the unexpected.

According to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year, nationwide,

about 300 children under 5 years of age drown in swimming pools, usually family owned swimming pools.

In addition, more than 2,000 children in that age group
are treated in hospital emergency rooms

for submersion injuries.

Medical costs for submersion victims can range from anywhere

 between $4,000 to $160,000 for victims with severe brain damage.

• 75% of submersion victims studied were between 1 and 3 years old
• 65% of this group were boys
• In total: 69% of children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet were found in the water
• 65% of all incidents happen in the childrens own pool
• while 33% happen in a pool owned by friends or relative

Pool submersions happen quickly - A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone

77% of victims were missing from sight for 5 minutes or less!

WHAT TO DO TO SAVE YOUR CHILD

Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process,

even while the child is still in the water . Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.

MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE ENACTED SAFETY REGULATIONS GOVERNING RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOLS - INGROUND & ABOVEGROUND. ITS UP TO PARENTS TO COMPLY WITH THESE REGULATIONS. APART FROM THESE LAWS, PARENTS WHO OWN POOLS CAN TAKE THEIR OWN PRECAUTIONS TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF THEIR YOUNGSTERS ACCESSING THE FAMILY POOL OR SPA WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION.

FENCES & GATES

• Install a fence or other barrier such as a wall, completely around the pool. The doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with an alarm or the pool should have a power safety cover.
• The fence or barried should be at least 4 feet high. It should have no foot or handholds that could help a young child to climb it.
• Vertical fence slats should be less than 4 inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through.
• Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The gate should be well maintained to close and latch easily. The latch should be out of a child's reach.

ABOVE GROUND POOLS

• Steps & ladders leading the ground to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.

IN-GROUND POOLS

According to PoolCenter.com you can purchase a poolguard pool alarm for inground pools.

The Poolguard Pool alarm has been on the market since 1982 and is made in the USA.

Entry into the pool detencted by the unit's electronic sensor sets off a loud,

pulsating alarm both in the home and at the pool.

This pool guard can sense any object over 15lbs falling into the pool

Please visit www.poolcenter.com/alarms for more information.

It is up to parents to make sure that their homes & yards are a safe place for children.

The National Spa & Pool Institute statistics show that drowning and

swimming accidents are best prevented by adult supervision.