Drowning Prevention & Swimming Pool Safety Guide for California Families

Drownings in private and public swimming pools are a leading cause of death for young children. Many children who do survive often have permanent brain injury and other serious health problems. Sadly, many of these tragic incidents are preventable by homeowners and swimming pool operators using due care. Despite this unacceptable risk, many adults fail to recognize the dangers of swimming pools, and fail to take the simple, necessary precautions that are necessary to protect our children.

In many cases, death or brain injury results from the negligence of a property owner or pool manager. The negligent failure of adults to properly supervise children can also be a primary cause of swimming pool accidents and wrongful deaths. Many times adults may be drinking, do not pay attention to children around pools, or fail to provide proper safety and flotation devices. Dark, murky water, inadequate lighting, electrical issues and lack of sufficient gates or fencing can also cause unnecessary swimming pool injury and death. Dangerous drains, covers, water slides and negligent maintenance can often cause a preventable tragedy.

To prevent the tragedy of drownings and pool related injuries, The California Department of Health has published safety guidelines for swimming pool safety. The Red Cross also has water safety guidelines that can help prevent unnecessary death and injuries in private and public swimming pools.

Safety Guide for Home Swimming Pools and Spas

Republished from the California Department of Health

Drowning takes the lives of more California toddlers than any other kind of accident. Children who manage to survive a "near drowning" often suffer permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen. Children one to four years old are at greatest risk. They are very active and curious, and they learn new skills everyday. One day they suddenly learn how to open the sliding door and wander from the house to the pool and spa area. A child may fall in and drown silently without calling out for help. The whole event can happen in just a minute or two. Most of these drownings take place at the homes of parents, relatives or neighbors. Fortunately, you can prevent toddler drowning by combining these two methods: ADULT SUPERVISION and SAFETY BARRIERS.

Tips for Improving Adult Supervision

Supervision of children around water is not "normal" supervision, where we check on a child every couple of minutes. When around water, children must be kept in direct sight at all times. Children in water or next to water can drown immediately and silently, so there is no room for error.

• Never leave a young child alone in or around a pool, spa or wading pool, even for a few seconds
• When young children are in or around the pool or spa, assign a "Water Watcher" to keep them in DIRECT SIGHT
• Relieve the watcher every 20 minutes or so
• Be especially alert at the start and end of "planned" pool time for toddlers
• If a child is missing, ALWAYS look first in the pool or spa. Seconds count!
• Keep rescue equipment (safety ring, long pole) and a cordless phone next to the pool or spa

Tips for Using Safety Barriers

A safety barrier helps prevent or slow a child from getting to the water. A four-sided isolation fence is the best barrier as it completely surrounds the pool or spa. It is different from a property line or "perimeter" fence that keeps neighbor children from accessing your pool. Isolation fencing separates the pool or spa from the house. Isolation fences are specially designed so that children cannot easily get over, under or through them.

• Make sure all fence gates and ladders leading to a pool or spa are self-closing and self-latching, with latches above the child's reach
• Other barriers approved by California law include pool safety covers, removable mesh pool fencing, self-closing and latching devices on the home's doors, exit alarms on doors, swimming pool alarms, or any other barrier approved by local building officials
• California law approves only certified safety covers that must completely cover the pool or spa so children cannot fall into the water
• All doors opening into pool or spa areas should close and latch automatically with child-resistant latch releases
• Doors and windows leading to the pool or spa area should be equipped with approved exit alarms (battery or wired to home electrical system)
• Pet doors should be kept locked when children are present in the home
• Approved swimming pool alarms should be placed in the water to detect movement (should not be used without some other physical barrier)

Other Safety Tips

Experts agree it is best to use more than one safety method to increase the likelihood of keeping a child away from danger:

• Parents, guardians and babysitters should learn cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and update their skills annually
• Teach children how to dial 9-1-1
• Restrict access to the pool or spa when it cannot be properly supervised - doors and gates should be closed and locked
• Keep things that children can climb on, like chairs, away from pool fences and gates
• Have a professional regularly inspect your pool or spa for entrapment or entanglement hazards
• Teach children how to swim when they are old enough (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting at 4 years old)
• California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health and Safety Code §§115920-115929) requires at least one approved safety barrier be in place for all pools and spas built after January 1, 1998 and for any pools being remodeled

Red Cross Water Safety Guidelines

Take Steps to Stay Safe Around Water

Swimming is the most popular summer activity. One of the best things you can do to help your family stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons. Designed for those ages six months to adult, Red Cross swim lessons help set the stage for a lifetime of water safety by equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to help you and your loved ones swim safely and with confidence.

For more information on swimming pool safety, visit the Red Cross Water Safety Guidelines.

Legal Rights After a Swimming Pool Accident

If you have suffered the death or injury of a loved one in any swimming pool or drowning accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney to act quickly on your behalf and to protect your legal rights. Contact The Baum Law Firm at (951) 200-4265 for a free phone consultation.

With conveniently located offices in Temecula and Murrieta, our dedicated personal injury lawyers handle wrongful death and injury cases throughout Riverside County and all California cities and counties. We handle all injury, accident and wrongful death cases in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Hemet, Perris, Lake Elsinore, Riverside and all nearby cities.

Put our decades of experience to work for you today. You pay us nothing unless we recover money in your case from an insurance settlement or legal judgment after a lawsuit is filed.