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Swimming
Pool Safety
By
John Beatty
Fire and Life
Safety Officer
Portland Fire
Department
As
I’m setting
here in my
office with
perspiration
running down my
head all I can
think of is
going home to
take a nice
cool dip in my
pool. As I
think of the
shear joy of
jumping into my
pool. The
thought comes
to me should I
actually be
jumping into my
pool, should I
swim alone,
should I have
life saving
devices to
assist people
if they are in
need of help. I
think I should
do some
research to
make my pool
area safe not
only for myself
but for others
that will be
using it.
These
are things that
a parent should
know and
children should
be aware of
about pool
safety. 70% of
all drowning
accidents will
occur in
August, a few
safety tips
could avoid all
of these
accidents.
A
few things to
remember
-
Anyone
can drown
in the time
it takes to
answer a
phone,
-
77%
of all
drowning
victims are
missing for
less than 5
minutes.
-
33%
of
accidents
occurred in
the homes
of friends
or
relatives
where the
child was a
guest
-
65%
of the
accidents
occurred in
the pool
owned by
the Childs
family
-
Remember
children
can drown
in just
inches of
water
-
Barrier
fencing can
effectively
reduce
drowning
deaths of
children up
to 80%
Safety
Tips
-
A
barrier
fence at
least 5
feet high
should
surround
the pool
-
All
gates
entering
the pool
should have
a
self-Latching
mechanism
-
The
fence
should
allow for a
clear view
of the pool
-
Fences
should have
no foot or
hand holds
for
children to
climb
-
All
standing
water
should be
removed
from pool
covers
-
Pool
covers
should be
completely
removed
when not in
use
-
Steps
and ladders
leading to
above
ground
pools must
be secured
locked or
removed
when not in
use.
-
All
children’s
toy should
be kept out
of pool
area.
Remember
these are
not life
saving
devices.
If
we all follow
these few
safety tips we
should all have
a more pleasant
summer.
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