7.2. SR 11-18-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W by the Swimming Pool Guidelines Were Developed E ach year,hundreds of young chil- • Most of the victims were being super- Swimining pool drownings of young dren die and thousands come close wised by one or both parents when the children have another particularly insidi- to death due to submersion in resi- swimming pool accident occurred. ous feature:these are silent deaths.It is dential swimming pools.CPSC has esti- unlikely that splashing or screaming,will mated that each year about 300 children Nearly half of the child victims were occur to alert a parent or caregiver that a under 5 years old drown in swimming last seen in the house before the pool child is in trouble. pools,The Commission estimates hospital accident occurred.In addition,23 percent CPSC staff have reviewed a great emergency room treatment is required for of the accident victims were Iasi seen on deal of data on drownings and child more than 2,000 children under 5 years of the porch or patio,or in the yard. behavior,as well as information on pool age who were submerged in residential and pool barrier construction.The staff pools, y This means that fully 69 percent of the concluded that the best way to reduce CPSC did an extensive study of children who became victims in swim- child drownings in residential pools was swimming pool accidents,both fatal ming pool accidents were not expected to for pool owners to construct and maintain drownings and near-fatal submersions, in be in or at the pool, but were found barriers that would prevent young chil- California,Arizona and Florida, states in drowned or submerged in the-water. dren from gaining access to pools. which home swimming pools are very However,there are no substitutes for dili- popular and in use during much of the 65 percent of the accidents occurred in gent supervision. year.The findings from that study led a pool owned by the victim's immediate Commission staff to develop the guide- family, and 33 percent of the accidents lines in this handbook. occurred in pools owned by relatives or friends. In.California,Arizona and Florida, drowning was the leading cause of acci- Fewer than 2 percent of the pool acci- dental death in and around the home for dents were a result of children trespassing children under the age of 5 years. on property where they didn't live or belong. 75 percent of the children involved in swimming pool submersion or drowning 77 percent of the swimming pool acci- accidents were between I and 3 years old. dent victims had been missing for five minutes or Jess when they were found in • Boys between I and 3 years old were the pool drowned or submerged. the most likely victims of fatal drownings The speed with which swimming pool and near-fatal submersions in residential. drownings and submersions can occur is a swimming pools. special concern: by the time a child's absence is noted,the child may have drowned.Anyone who has cared for a toddler knows how fast young children can move.Toddlers are inquisitive and impulsive and lack a realistic sense of danger.These behaviors,coupled with a child's ability to move quickly and unpre- dictably make swimming pools particular- Iv hazardous for households with young children. 1.