How to Ensure Your Child Will Be Safe in a Pool

Washington, D.C., Maryland & Virginia

A swimming pool means cool relief on a hot day, but water sports can be very dangerous if precautions aren’t taken. Every year almost 1,000 children die by drowning. Most child drownings occur in home swimming pools. Young children can die in just two inches of water.

In the Washington D.C. area, if your child dies or is injured due to someone else’s negligence, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney and find out what your rights are.

Safety Tips

Here are some guidelines to keep your kids safe around the water:

• Children need 100% attention while in a pool
• 70% of preschooler deaths occurred while both parents are present
• 75% of child deaths by drowning occur when parents stepped away for only 5 minutes
• Infants and toddlers must be within an arms length away when near or in a pool
• Around the age of 5, children should be taught to swim
• Even though a child can swim, they still must be supervised
• Don’t rely on flotation devices or tubes to keep non-swimmers safe
• Never mix swimming with alcohol. 50% of all teen drownings are alcohol-related
• Find out where other water hazards — such as ponds, creeks or other pools — are located in your neighborhood
• Does your neighbor have a pool and do they keep their gates locked?
• If you have an aboveground pool, always lock or remove the ladder when the pool is not in use
• During the winter months, do not allow kids to walk on iced-over pools
• Parents and caregivers should learn CPR
• 911 on your phone’s speed dial can save precious seconds

Your Home Pool

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the best safety investment for a home pool is a fence between your house and the water. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), fences should meet the following guidelines:

• Fences should stand at least 4 feet high with no foot or handrails for children to climb on.
• The slats should be less than 4 inches apart so a child can't get through, or if chain link, should have no opening larger than 1¾ inches.
• Gates should be self-closing and self-latching, and the latch should be out of the child's reach.

Educate your kids

It’s important to teach your kids proper pool behavior:

• Don’t allow your kids to run or push each other around a pool
• Never let kids dive in areas not marked for diving
• Teach kids to exit the pool immediately during bad weather — especially lightning storms
• Teach kids to contact an adult or lifeguard during an emergency

In Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland, if your child is injured or drowns due to someone else’s negligence, contact our personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C. We’re ready to serve you and give you the personal attention you deserve.

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