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Home » Consumer Information » Child Care & Safety

Pool Safety for Children

Pool Saftey

Drowning is a leading cause of death of children in the home, especially in the Sunbelt. Every year, more than 300 children under the age of five drown in residential swimming pools across the United States. Furthermore, over 2,000 children in this age group are treated in emergency rooms for submersion injuries annually. When a submersion victim is first admitted to the hospital, medical bills can be astronomical. Fees can range anywhere from $2,000 for minimal treatment resulting in a successful recovery to $80,000 for a victim suffering from brain damage. Some victims who are severely brain damaged may find themselves in the hospital for many months with medical expenses upwards of $150,000.

Many communities have implemented safety rules for both in-ground and above-ground residential swimming pools, but enforcement of the rules are left up to individual parents. In order for any swimming pool safety program to effectively prevent injuries and death, parents must take responsibility to monitor pools and keep unsupervised children far from pools or spas.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducted a comprehensive study of drowning and submersion accidents involving children under the age of five in Florida, Arizona, and California. Here are some of the major findings:

  • 75 percent of submersion victims involved in the study fell between the ages of one and three, and 65 percent of them were boys. Toddlers are often unpredictable because their capabilities change in the blink of an eye.
  • One or both parents were supervising the victim at the time of the accident. 46 percent of the victims were last spotted inside the residence, 23 percent were last seen on the lawn, porch or patio, and 31 percent were swimming or alongside the pool prior to the accident. Overall, 69 percent of the victims were neither in nor near the pool immediately before being found in the water.
  • Submersion accidents involving children typically happen in a familiar environment. 65 percent of mishaps occurred in a pool owned by the victim’s immediate family, and 33 percent happened in a pool at a friend or relative’s house.
  • Submersion tragedies involving children in pools happen quickly; a child can drown in the time it takes to make a quick phone call. 77 percent of the victims had been out of sight of a supervising adult for no more than five minutes.
  • A child’s odds of survival depend on how soon the child is pulled from the water and resumes breathing. Mere seconds can be the difference between survival and death or severe brain injury.
  • Children can drown very quietly; you won’t hear any yelling, crying or splashing as a warning that the child is in danger.

Barriers

The following recommendations stem from the identification of common factors that lead to backyard drowning accidents. These are the bare minimum precautionary steps that can be taken to increase swimming pool safety around the home. Barriers are not childproof, but they serve as a protective boundary against the potential submersion peril faced by a child who escapes supervision. Examples of barriers include fencing, walls, door alarms and pool covers, all of which can help prevent a child from gaining access to spas or hot tubs.


Fences and gates
  • Surround a pool with a fence or wall. If the house serves as one side of the barrier, the doors closest to the pool should be armed with an alarm, or there should be a power safety cover over the pool. (Further suggestions for alarms and pool covers can be found below.)
  • Fencing or an alternative barrier should be a minimum of four feet in height and should not have anything that a child could possibly hold or cling to in order to climb over it.
  • Spacing between vertical fence slats should be less than four inches apart to keep a child from squeezing through.
  • Even the sturdiest, highest fence can be vulnerable to a child if the gate fails to properly close and latch. Proper periodic maintenance must be performed to ensure that a gate always closes and latches securely.
  • There are a variety of fencing construction materials on the market to match your house and pool. A local fencing company can supply you with more information and help you choose the best fit for you and your home. The release mechanism for a pool gate should be positioned at least 54 inches from the ground:
  • If horizontal members of a pool fence are at least 45 inches apart, vertical spacing should be no more than four inches.
  • For a chain link fence, no part of the diamond-shaped opening should be greater than 1.75 inches.
  • Gates should automatically close and latch. This mechanism should be checked regularly to ensure that it is in working condition. The latch should also be beyond a child’s reach.
  • When the release mechanism of the self-latching device is lower than 54 inches from the ground, the gate’s release mechanism should be located a minimum of three inches below the peak of the gate on the side facing the pool. Placing the release mechanism at this level keeps a child from reaching over the top of the gate and disengaging the latch.

Door alarms
  • If the house serves as a section of the barrier, doors leading from the house to the pool should be armed with alarms that sound off loudly when a door opens unexpectedly.
  • Install an alarm that can be disarmed by an adult by way of a switch or keypad out of a child’s reach. Adults can operate the keypad switch when they want to pass through the door without setting off the alarm.
  • Affordable battery-powered and electric alarms are available and can be installed easily.

Power safety covers
  • A power safety cover should conceal the entire surface area of the pool. A motor-propelled cover opens and closes with ease. When the power safety cover is appropriately secured over the water, it offers an increased level of safety for children under the age of five.
  • Power safety covers can be used instead of door alarms. The cover should meet the labeling and performance requirements of the ASTM pool cover standard. According to ASTM, the cover must be able to support the weight of two adults and a child in the event someone falls on top of the cover and needs to be rescued. Water pooling on the surface of the cover must also be able to be drained off easily, since a child can drown in only a couple of inches of water.

Above ground pools
  • Steps and ladders serving as points of access to the pool’s edge should be secured and locked when the pool is in use or completely removed during seasons when the pool is not in use.

Rules at the pool
  • Inform babysitters of prospective hazards to youngsters and the use of security devices like door alarms and latches. Stress the need for continuous supervision.
  • Never leave a child near a pool without close supervision. During pool parties, designate someone to be in charge of watching the children at all times. Consider rotating amongst designated “watchers.”
  • If a child vanishes, first check the pool. Scan the entire bottom and surface of the pool as well as the surrounding area for the missing child.
  • Be sure all young children are accompanied by an adult in the water at all times.
  • Despite taking swimming lessons, a young child is still prone to drowning. Do not take this for granted.
  • Don’t leave a child with flotation devices unattended even if you think they should be safe.
  • Become certified in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Babysitters and other caretakers (e.g., grandparents and older siblings) should also be trained in CPR.
  • Store rescue equipment near the pool, and keep a telephone somewhere close with emergency numbers handy.
  • Remove toys from the water and deck of the pool when not in use. Toys will attract young children.
  • Don’t ever leave the gate of a pool barrier ajar or prop it open.