With summer upon us, most neighborhood and community swimming pools are open. We all look forward to spending time and making memories with our families and friends poolside. However, don’t let your guard down during this popular summer tradition, as tragedy can strike immediately.
The Potential Risks of Swimming Pools
Although water can be a fun source of recreation, it can also cause injury and death, especially among young children. Just recently, a girl drowned while trying to save her younger sister in a hotel pool in Wheelersburg, Ohio. Unfortunately, these types of cases aren’t anything new, as any personal injury attorney will tell you.
Drowning deaths have seen an uptick in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 4,500 people drowned each year between 2020 and 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death in the world. Children are the most vulnerable, with drowning rates being the highest among children ages 1-4 globally.
However, drowning isn’t the only safety concern around pools and water. Injuries from slips and falls, and to a lesser degree, electric shock, are all real concerns.
5 Tips on Preventing Summer Pool Accidents
Your summertime fun doesn’t have to end in tragedy. Take the following steps to ensure that everyone has fun in and around water:
1) Supervise minors around a swimming pool at all times. Remember, accidents only take a few seconds to happen.
2) Encourage your whole family to take swimming lessons. Learning how to swim can help prevent unintentional drowning in deep water. Doing so gives you more confidence and makes water activities more fun.
3) Discuss pool safety and establish rules. Implementing clear guidelines, such as no running or diving, can help prevent accidents that may otherwise occur.
4) Keep your pool secure. Install and maintain proper gates and fencing to protect children, who don’t always understand the inherent dangers of a pool.
5) Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR is a valuable skill that can save lives when accidents do occur.
For more tips, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website on pool safety.
Own a Pool? Make Sure You Follow Local Personal Injury Regulations
If you own a pool, you could be liable for negligence if you don’t properly maintain it and enact the proper safety precautions. Review both state and local laws regarding accidents and injuries to ensure your pool and surrounding area is compliant. Contact the Cincinnati law firm of Clements, Taylor, Butkovich & Cohen LPA, Co., if you have questions or want to take steps to protect your loved ones. You can message us or make an appointment through our online contact form.