How to avoid pool accidents (and what to do when they happen)
The swimming pool is one of the most popular destinations for children and adults looking for a place to unwind and cool down. The pool may be a lot of fun, but it also poses a significant threat to everyone who uses it. Accidents in swimming pools can happen anywhere, including private pools, public pools, hotels, motels, parks, and water parks, among other places.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that drowning is the largest cause of accidental death throughout the globe, accounting for an average of 372,000 fatalities per year. Likewise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidental drowning claims the lives of around ten individuals daily. Two of them are youngsters who are less than 14 years old.
Types of Pool Accidents
Drowning is not the only pool injury that happens. Injuries sustained in swimming pools are known to occur in various forms and sorts. The following are some of the potential causes of swimming pool accidents.
- Submersion Injuries: Injuries Sustained During Submersion Accidents in which a person comes dangerously close to drowning may result in long-term impairments, such as difficulties in learning and memory.
- Electrical faults: Because water is a conductor, if there is any issue with any electrical equipment (such as a pool light), it might cause significant harm to someone swimming in your pool.
- Pool slide injuries: Injuries sustained on pool slides. Injuries sustained on pool slides may range from minor to devastating.
- Fall: The most frequent mishap at a swimming pool is a slip and fall, usually brought on by risky activity or slick surfaces.
- Entrapment by pool toys: It has been reported that small children and swimmers may get entrapped underwater or unable to free themselves when inflatable pool toys become tangled or tipped over.
- Defective pool toys: Toys for the pool that don’t work correctly may put swimmers in danger and create severe safety concerns if they don’t perform as expected.
How to Avoid Swimming Pool Accidents
Even though accidental drownings and injuries sustained in swimming pools often result from careless behavior, such as ignoring posted warnings or being an inexperienced swimmer. Nonetheless, carelessness on the part of the swimming pool’s operator or owner is another potential cause of accidents in swimming pools. To avoid these accidents, the following are necessary:
Proper Supervision
A lifeguard must be on duty whenever people are in a pool, regardless of whether the pool is public or private. The owner and operator of the pool are responsible for putting up a notice alerting patrons to the absence of a lifeguard. If there are lifeguards on duty, they must keep swimmers safe by watching for any potential hazards. Distracted lifeguards may put others in danger, which can have disastrous results.
Proper Barriers
The presence of adequate barriers is necessary to protect children and those unable to swim from the risks posed by a pool. The recommended height for barriers to avoid drowning is four feet, and they should not have any gaps that are large enough for a youngster to trip and fall through. Locks should also be included on the pool barriers.
Inspection and Maintenance of the Surface
The area immediately around a swimming pool is one that the pool owners should take time to inspect thoroughly. The area around the swimming pool is often hazardous since it is frequently damp and slippery. Some surfaces, like tile, may be dangerously slippery, leading to accidents involving slipping and falling. Pavement and other surfaces around and around the pool that are cracked or uneven are other potential causes of catastrophic injury. Appropriate safety measures and repairs must be taken to reduce the number of incidents involving slipping and falling around the pool.
Avoid Alcohol Before Swimming
Drinking while swimming is exactly as dangerous as driving under alcohol. Even after consuming a small amount of alcohol, it’s not always safe to go swimming.
Inspect All Pool Equipment
Spend some time inspecting any ladders, slides, pool lights, diving boards, and other pieces of potentially dangerous equipment, such as those that could fail and result in a major accident. Any broken components must be replaced or repaired as quickly as possible, and swimming should be prohibited until the repairs have been finished.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Toys
Toys for the pool are a lot of fun, but if you leave too many of them lying around, someone can trip and fall. If a toy is sitting at the edge of the pool and isn’t used, it should be moved further away.
Steps to Take After a Swimming Pool Accident
The repercussions of accidents in swimming pools may be very harmful, even if not fatal. A child or even an adult may carry the scars of an injury for the rest of their lives.
Because of this, your actions in the minutes, hours, and days immediately after an accident involving a swimming pool are very important.
The following is a list of items you need to remember if someone is injured in a swimming pool accident.
Call for Emergency Help to Hospitalize the Injured Person
Visit a medical professional or a hospital as soon as possible. Anyone injured in a swimming pool accident needs immediate medical attention. The sooner you go to the hospital, the less likely you are to suffer serious consequences that might be life-threatening. Children and victims who were immersed in the water for a long length of time are especially vulnerable.
Notify the Local Authorities of the Accident
The accident must be recorded and documented, even if you don’t want to call the authorities on your friends, relatives, or neighbors. Preliminary investigations and reports may be done by police officers at the site of any accident as long as they have the authority to do so.
Involve an Experienced Injury Lawyer
Some legal firms are willing to take on any matter that comes their way. They’ll handle their client’s injury claims, contract negotiations, and criminal defense. But for cases like this, it is best to inform a personal injury lawyer. As it is their specialty, they will know the best step to take and the best advice to give
