What was the location of the pool drowning?
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65 percent were in the family pool.
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22 percent were at a relatives' pool.
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11 percent happened at a neighbor's pool.
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Consumer
Product Safety Commission Suggests Installing Fences & Gates
Completely Around Pools
The Consumer Product Safety Commission
suggests installing a fence or some other type of barrier completely
surrounding the pool. If the house is part of the barrier, the pool
should have a power safety cover, or the doors leading from the
house to the pool should be protected with an alarm.
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The fence or barrier should be a minimum
of 4 feet high. It should not have foot or handholds that could
help a young child to climb it.
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Vertical fence slats should be no more than
4 inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through.
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For any pool barrier, the maximum clearance
at the bottom of the barrier should be no more than 4 inches above
grade, when the measurement is done on the side of the barrier
facing away from the pool.
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If the fence is chain link, then no
part of the diamond-shaped opening should be larger that
1¾
inch. The mesh size should be no more than 1¼ inches
square.
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Gates should open out from the pool
and should be self- closing and self-latching. It should
have no opening
wider than ½ inch within 18 inches of the latch
release mechanism. This prevents a young child from reaching
through the
gate and releasing the latch.
Use this guide when the release mechanism
is located less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate.
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If horizontal members are equal to or more
than 45 inches apart, vertical spacing should not exceed 4 inches.
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Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching.
The gate should close and latch easily. The latch should be out
of a child's reach.
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When the release mechanism of the self-latching
device is less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, the
release mechanism for the gate should be at no more than 3 inches
below the top of the gate on the side facing the pool.
Note: Placing the release
mechanism at this height prevents a young child from reaching over
the top of a gate to release the latch. Also, the gate and barrier
should have no opening more than ½ inch within 18 inches
of the latch release mechanism.
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BOCA National
Building Code - Enclosures for Private Swimming Pools
Always check with your nearest Building Department for current codes/requirements
pertaining to pool barriers in your area. The BOCA National Building
Code below should only be used as a reference to gain a basic understanding
of the types of requirements you may encounter locally.
THE BOCA NATIONAL BUILDING CODE/1999
421.10.1 Enclosures for private swimming pools: Private swimming
pools shall be enclosed in accordance with Sections 421.10.1 or
by other approved barriers.
421.10.1 Outdoor private swimming pool: An
outdoor-private swimming pool, including an in-ground, above-ground
or on-ground pool, hot tub or spa shall be provided with a barrier
which shall comply with the following.
1. The top of the barrier shall be at least
48 inches above finished ground level measured on the side of the
barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. The maximum vertical
clearance between finished ground level and the barrier shall be
2 inches measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from
the swimming pool. Where the top of the pool structure is above
finished ground level, such as an above-ground pool, the barrier
shall be at finished ground level, such as the pool structure, or
shall be mounted on top of the pool structure. Where the barrier
is mounted on the pool structure, the opening between the top surface
of the pool frame and the bottom of the barrier shall not allow
passage of a 4-inch diameter sphere.
2. Openings in the barrier shall not allow
passage of a 4-inch diameter sphere.
3. Solid barriers shall not contain indentations
or protrusions except for normal construction tolerances and tooled
masonry joints.
4. Where the barrier is composed of horizontal
and vertical members and the distance between the tops of the horizontal
members is less than 45 inches, the horizontal members shall be
located on the swimming pool side of the fence. Spacing between
vertical members shall not exceed 4 inches. Decorative cutouts shall
not exceed 1¾ inches in width. Decorative cutouts shall not
exceed 1¾ inches in width.
5. Where the barrier is composed of horizontal
and vertical members and the distance between the tops of the horizontal
members is 45 inches or more, spacing between vertical members shall
not exceed 4 inches. Decorative cutouts shall not exceed 13/4 inches
in width.
6. Maximum mesh size for chain link fences
shall be a 11/4-inch square unless the fence is provided with slats
fastened at the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not
more than 13/4 inches.
7. Where the barrier is composed of diagonal
members, such as a lattice fence, the maximum opening formed by
the diagonal members shall be not more than 13/4 inches.
8. Access gates shall comply with the requirements
of items 1 through 7 of Section 421.10.1, and shall be equipped
to accommodate a locking device. Pedestrian access gates shall open
outwards away from the pool and shall be equipped to accommodate
a locking device. Pedestrian access gates shall open outwards away
from the pool and shall be self-closing and have a self-latching
device. Gates other than pedestrian access gates shall have a self-latching
device. Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device
is located less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate: (a)
the release mechanism shall be located on the pool side of the gate
at least 3 inches below the top of the gate; and (b) the gate and
barrier shall not have an opening greater than ½ inch within
18 inches of the release mechanism.
9. Where a wall of a dwelling unit serves as
part of the barrier and contains a door that provides direct access
to the pool, one of the following shall apply:
9.1. All doors with direct access to the pool
through that wall shall be equipped with an alarm which produces
an audible warning when the door and its screen, if present, are
opened. The audible warning shall commence not more than 7 seconds
after the door and door screen, if present, are opened and shall
sound continuously for a minimum of 30 seconds. The alarm shall
have a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dBA at 10 feet and the
sound of the alarm shall be distinctive from other household sounds
such as smoke alarms, telephones and door bells. The alarm shall
automatically reset under all conditions. The alarm shall be equipped
with manual means, such as touchpads or switches, to deactivate
temporarily the alarm for a single opening from either direction.
Such deactivation shall last for not more than 15 seconds. The deactivation
touchpads or switches shall be located at least 54 inches above
the threshold of the door.
9.2. All doors with direct access to the pool
through that wall shall be equipped with a self-closing and self-latching
device with the release mechanism located a minimum of 54 inches
above the floor. Swinging doors shall open away from the pool area.
9.3. The pool shall be equipped with a power
safety cover. Where in a closed position, the cover shall be capable
of holding a weight of 485 pounds, shall not have any openings that
allow passage of a 41/2 inch sphere and shall incorporate a system
to drain standing water that collects on the cover. The cover control
switch shall be permanently installed in accordance with NFPA 70
listed in Chapter 35, and be key-operated and of a spring-loaded
or momentary-contact type. Where the switch is released, the operation
of the cover shall stop instantly and be capable of reversing direction
immediately. The switch shall be in the line of sight of the complete
pool cover.
10. Where an above-ground pool structure is
used as a barrier or where the barrier is mounted on top of the
pool structure, and the means of access is a fixed or removable
ladder or steps, the ladder or steps shall be surrounded by a barrier
which meets the requirements of items 1 through 9 of Section 421.10.1.
A removable ladder shall not constitute an acceptable alternative
to enclosure requirements.
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Protection
Supervision is always your primary source of protection, but as
the study shows, 69 percent of the drowning incidents occurred when
parental supervision failed and there were no other protective measures
in use.
Below are some other ways to protect against drowning
incidents:
1. Access doors to the pool area with high
locks.
2. Alarms on access doors.
3. A pool safety barrier (fence) separating the pool from your
home, access doors and entrances.
4. Water survival training for a child when he is capable of crawling
or walking to the pool.
5. CPR and knowledge of rescue techniques.
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Some
Statistics
According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, drowning is the leading
cause of injury or death for children ages 1 to 2, the second leading
cause of death for people ages 5 to 44, and the third leading cause
of accidental death in the United States.
An extensive study on pool safety by the Consumer
Product Safety Commission produced some startling results. The investigation
was focused on children under age five in Arizona, California, and
Florida who had drowned in home swimming pools. The results might
help you to better understand why drowning is still the number one
killer for three states and stands at number two for the nation.
Following are some statistics from that report.
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In California, Arizona and Florida, drowning
is the leading cause of accidental death for children under the
age of 5 in and around the home.
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75 percent of children involved in swimming
pool drowning accidents were between 1 and 3 years old.
-
Boys between the ages of 1 and 3 years are
the most likely victims of fatal drowning accidents and near-fatal
submersions in residential swimming pools.
-
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Nearly half of the child victims were last
seen in the house before the pool accident occurred. In addition,
23 percent of the accident victims were last seen on the porch,
patio or in the yard.
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65 percent of the accidents occur in a pool
owned by the victim's family, and 33 percent of the accidents
occurred in pools owned by friends or relatives.
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Less than 2 percent of the pool accidents
were a result of children trespassing on property where they didn't
live or belong.
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Pool drowings involving children happen
quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone
call. 77 percent of the swimming pool victims had been missing
for five minutes or less when they were found in the pool drowned
or submerged.
-
Pool drownings are silent deaths. It is
unlikely that splashing or screaming will occur to alarm a parent
or caregiver that a child is in trouble.
-
Most of the victims were being supervised
by one or both parents when the swimming pool accident occurred.
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Pool
Safety Information Links
For a copy of Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools
by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, send a request :
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Pool Barriers
Office of Information & Public Affairs
Washington, D.C., 20207
Or at their Web site: www.cpsc.gov
Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/Pool.pdf
Pool and Spa Emergency Procedures
http://nspi.org/consumer_info/
Drowning Prevention Tips
http://nspi.org/consumer_info/
Pool Fencing Can Prevent Child Drownings
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml89/89052.htmlCPSP
Pool and Spa Safety Publications
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/chdrown.html
American Academy of Pediatrics
Pool Safety for Children
http://www.aap.org/family/tipppool.htm
Related Links:
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
Foundation for Aquatic Injury Prevention
http://www.aquaticisf.org
List of National, State and local resources
http://www.calspec.org/drowning_prevention_tips.htm
National Swimming Pool Foundation
http://www.nspf.com
Physicians Communications Network
Search medical library using key word: "Drowning."
http://www.Medem.com
National Safety Commission - Water Safety
Facts
http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/drown.htm
Safety campaign "Look before you Leap."
http://www.greenweb.com.au/lookleap
Injury Free Coalition For Kids
http://www.injuryfree.org
Drowning Prevention Foundation
http://www.drownprevention.com
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