With the weather heating up many people will take a break from the heat in pools. But cooling off could become a tragedy if safety precautions are not taken, particularly for parents of young children. Anyone visiting or owning a pool should be aware of the potential safety hazards of a swimming pool and what precautions they can take.

Pool safety is particularly important for young children, as even shallow water can pose a drowning risk for a child.   Drowning is also frequently quick and silent.   And, even severe injuries from near drowning can be devastating.   Life-long care may be needed for these accident related disabilities.

Drowning is the leading cause of injury related death among young children, from the ages of one to four and the second largest cause of injury related death for children age four to 14. Injuries and deaths from drowning are largely preventable with the right safety precautions and awareness of factors that increase the risk of drowning.

There are precautions pool owners and parents can take to reduce the risks of swimming accidents or drowning, such as:

• Swim lessons. While knowing how to swim does not totally reduce the risk of drowning, being able to swim helps reduce the risk.
• Supervise your children. Do not leave children unattended at a pool. An adult who knows CPR and can swim should be on hand in the event of an emergency. Rescue devices like lifesavers should be readily available. If you cannot find your child always check the pool first.
• Safety equipment installation. A pool should always be enclosed by a fence at least four feet tall with a self-latching and self-closing gate. Pool covers are also useful and alarms can be installed on the pool to prevent access when not in use.
• Drain covers. The suction of drains can trap children at the bottom of pools. Make sure the pool has drain covers to avoid these injuries.
• Check for recalls of pool toys or pool accessories. It is important to make sure your pool equipment is safe. You can check recalls posted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
• No Diving In shallow water. Head and neck injuries resulting in paralysis can be caused by diving into shallow water.
• No running around the pool. The area around a pool is wet from splashing water, potentially causing slips and falls. Pool owners should install surfaces with some traction to avoid these injuries and post signs saying “no running.” The area around the pool should also be free of objects that could potentially be tripped over.

For more information about pool safety, or to discuss a swimming pool accident, contact the Philadelphia premises liability lawyers at Galfand Berger at 800-222-8792 or contact us online. Our legal team has vast experience helping swimming pool accident victims recover compensation.