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What You Need to Know
In 2003, 285 children died from accidental drowning in a swimming pool. Every year, thousands more are treated in emergency rooms for near-drownings.
Most young children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning.
Two-thirds of parents have little or no awareness of the risk of entrapment!
One of the most horrific ways for a child to be injured or killed in a pool or hot tub is entrapment.
Entrapment occurs when part of a child’s body becomes attached to a drain because of the powerful suction of a pool or hot tub’s filtration system.
It also can occur when a child’s hair or swimsuit gets tangled in the drain or on an underwater object, such as a ladder.
Don’t be one of the 66 percent of parents who have little or no awareness about entrapment risks. Find out how to protect your children in pools and hot tubs.
- Get your Water Watcher card >>
- What you need to know about drain covers >>
- Important information on safety vacuum release systems >>
National Safe Kids Week 2006 focused on pool and hot tub safety. Find out more about National Safe Kids Week 2006.
National Safe Kids Week 2007 focused on summer safety. Find out more about National Safe Kids Week 2007.
What You Can DoFor your children's safety, follow these simple safety tips.
Preventing Entrapment:
Warn your children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment, and teach them to stay away from the drain.
Install protection to prevent entrapment if you own a pool or hot tub. For new pools or hot tubs, install multiple drains or use a no-drain circulation system. If you do have drains, protective measures include anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
Preventing General Drowning:
Actively supervise your children around water, and have a phone nearby to call for help in an emergency.
Make sure your pool has four-sided fencing and a self-closing, self-latching gate, to prevent a child from wandering into the pool area unsupervised. In addition, hot tubs should be covered and locked when not in use.
Install a door alarm, a window alarm or both to alert you if a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised.
In December 2002, 10 year-old Aziza Ghori, became entrapped in the drain of a hot tub at a hotel she was staying at in India and drowned. She had accompanied her father and her nanny on a combination business trip and family vacation..
SAFETY CHECKLISTSPool and Hot Tub Safety
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For Pool & Hot Tub Owners | En Español |
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Equipment Checklist for Pool and Spa Owners |
