Many Florida homeowners have swimming pools and they are a fun recreational activity for family and friends. However, the fun can turn into a nightmare when serious injuries and even swimming pool fatalities result from poor maintenance, faulty design and insufficient safeguards.
Every year, the Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) reports thousands of swimming pool injuries, including diving board injuries, cuts, and slip and falls. In an effort to stay safe and injury-free around the swimming pool this summer, the CPSC issued the following tips:
- Use non-slip materials on the deck surrounding your pool and on the diving boards and ladders.
- Have the electrical systems installed by licensed electricians and in accordance with recognized standards for safety?
- Fence in your pool area to prevent access to unsupervised children.
- Place a safety float line where the bottom slope begins to deepen (approximately the five-foot level).
- Keep all electrical appliances, such as radios, away from the pool because of the potential shock hazard.
- Learn to swim well.
The majority of swimming pool deaths happen to children age 3 or younger, according to the CPSC. If you or a loved one suffers a swimming pool injury or death at a private or public pool, the pool owner is responsible.
Have you or a family member suffered a swimming pool injury?
