Monday, June 22, 2009

Pool Safety News

Monday, June 22 (Pool Guard News) www.poolsafetyfences.com now, that summer is here and warm weather has settled in across Sacramento California families are having cook outs and pool parties.
The summer time brings a heightened risk of drowning, according to Mike Corkery, President of Pool Guard and member of the National Drowning Prevention Association.
Each year, nearly 3,000 people drown in the United States. Young children are particularly at risk, the leading cause of death among children under the age of four is accidental drowning. "It only takes a few seconds and a few inches of water for a child to drown. Drowning is a silent killer," he said.
Drowning accounted for nearly 30 percent of deaths among children aged 1 to 4, according to 2005 statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"For every child who dies, more than 10 others are treated in emergency departments for near drowning," The long term effects can be devastating for families and lifelong care may be required for some...
As families uncover backyard pools and make plans for vacation trips to the nation's lakes and beaches, emergency department physicians are bracing for the tragedies they see every summer.
Some 70 percent of child drowning in Sacramento County occurred during June, July and August, according to the Sacramento County Department of Health Services.
In two-thirds of cases, the parents or caregivers of toddler-aged children found dead or nearly drowned in a pool or a spa thought their children were either sleeping or playing elsewhere in the house.
Drowning deaths can happen quickly. Most young children who drowned in pools had been out of sight less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the CDC.
When it comes to water safety, particularly involving children, you can never take too many precautions, emergency physicians say. Ways to prevent deaths from drowning include:
· Never leave a child unattended near a swimming pool, wading pool, bathtub or hot tub.
· Don't leave open containers of water near children. Small children can drown in just a few inches of water. Since 1973, more than 500 children have drowned in bathtubs, hot tubs, toilets and five-gallon buckets, according to University of California, Los Angeles Health Services.
· Take your children for swimming lessons, with a qualified swimming instructor if possible, as early as you can.
· Never permit anyone to swim alone.
· Enclose pools and hot tubs with fences with self-locking gates.
· Always outfit young children with life vests or approved personal floatation devices whenever they are near water.
· Don't allow kids to rough play -- pushing or jumping on others -- while in the water.
· Never consume alcohol and swim, especially if you are responsible for watching children.
· Know basic CPR skills in case of an emergency. Studies show people who have received CPR in cases of near-drowning are less likely to suffer brain damage or death

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