Residential Real EstateTips for Preventing Your Child From Drowning - It"s Not Just Pools that Pose Risk
As much of the country ushers in sweltering temperatures, thoughts turn to
cooling off and spending time in the swimming pool, prompting extra
attention to safety measures to keep children safe around pools. And with
good reason - about 350 children under 5 drown in swimming pools each year.
But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that it"s not just the
pool that requires your attention when it comes to keeping your kids safe
from drowning.
"While many of us are aware of the dangers a backyard pool poses to young
children, not everyone knows about other drowning hazards around the home,"
said CPSC Acting Chairman Thomas Moore. "CPSC is alerting parents and
caregivers to drowning hazards that might not be so obvious, to help prevent
these devastating losses."
About 115 children a year drown in hazards around the home, the CPSC says.
The CPCS has received reports of 459 young children who drowned in bathtubs,
buckets, toilets, spas, hot tubs, and other containers of water between 1996
and 1999.
Most of those drowning deaths - about two-thirds - occurred in bathtubs.
Most bathtub deaths occur when the caregiver is not present; a child can
drown in the time it takes to step out of the room to get a towel or answer
the telephone, the CPCS says. In at least 10 percent of the fatalities, the
child was in a bath seat.
From 1996 to 1999 some 58 children under 5 drowned in 5-gallon buckets, the
most deadly because of their tall, straight sides and stability. A small
amount of water can be deadly.
Toilets are often overlooked as a hazard, but 16 children 5 and under
drowned from 1996-1999 by falling headfirst.
Spas and hot tubs can also be deadly - 55 children died in the three-year
period. Other products that can cause drowning deaths include landscape
ponds, sinks, and fish tanks.
The CPCS offers these tips to keep your children out of harm"s way:
Never leave a baby alone in the tub - not even for a second. Always stay
in arm"s reach. If you must leave for any reason at all, take the baby with
you.
A baby bath seat doesn"t make it all right to leave. It serves as a
bathing aid, not a safety device. Babies can slip or climb out of the bath
seats and drown.
Never use a baby bath seat in a non-skid, slip-resistant tub because the
suction cups won"t stick to the bathtub, or they might detach suddenly.
Never leave a bucked containing even a small amount of water unattended.
When you"re done using a bucket, always empty it immediately.
Store buckets away from children.
Always secure safety covers and barriers to prevent children from gaining
access to spas or hot tubs when not in use. Some non-rigid covers, like
solar covers, can allow a small child to slip in the water with the cover
appearing to still be in place.
Keep the toilet lid down to prevent access to the water. Consider using a
toilet clip to stop young children from opening lids.
Learn CPR. It can be a lifesaver.
And, if you do have a swimming pool, be sure you have layers of protection -
fences and walls around the pool that are at least 4 feet high, a
self-latching gate, a power safety cover, rescue equipment near the pool,
and pool alarms.