by Suzanne Walker
posted May 2, 2006
Safe and Sound, an injury prevention service of T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, along with representatives from the Chattanooga Fire Department, The Pool Place, and the Sports Barn stressed the importance of active parent supervision, entrapment prevention, and ways parents and pool owners can provide a safe pool environment during a joint awareness campaign event on Tuesday at the Sports Barn North location.
Drowning remains the leading cause of death among children ages one to four and the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14. Every year there are also an estimated 2,400 pool-related near-drownings among children 14 and under. Such tragedies are preventable, said Becky Campbell, Safe and Sound program coordinator.
Ms. Campbell noted that in 2002, 337 children drowned in swimming pools, 70 percent of them young children ages 0-4, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
“Young children are naturally curious,” said Ms. Campbell. “Many of the young children that have drowned have simply wandered out of their own house or their relative’s or neighbor’s house into a backyard that doesn’t have a proper isolation fence or gate.”
Michelle Fugatt of the Chattanooga Fire Department said parents need to make sure they are up on the safety requirements for fences and gates surrounding their pool. “The number one rule is to always keep an eye on your children.”
Safe and Sound is giving away “Water Watcher” lanyards and whistles, a safety tip sheet that parents and caregivers can wear and have with them at all times, designating them as the person responsible for watching children in the water, at the HealthLink Plus office at Northgate Mall, all Sports Barn locations, and The Pool Place. Ms. Campbell said the Water Watcher tag serves as a reminder to be attentive and provides whistle and instructions in case of an emergency.
Active parent supervision is imperative when children are playing around pool areas, participants said. Drowning can occur can happen in a matter of seconds. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, two minutes following submersion, a child will lose consciousness. Irreversible brain damage occurs after four to six minutes and determines the immediate and long-term survival of a child.
Nearly all who require CPR die or are left with severe brain injury. Ms. Campbell said when a parent of guardian is watching a child in the pool, there should be no other distractions
President and CEO of The Pool Place Frank May described pool safety equipment, including an aluminum pool safety cover that automatically covers the pool with the turn of a key. However, he noted that the safety cover costs about $10,000.
Mr. May also recommended an alarm for doors that lead to a residential pool areas. He said alerting a parent that a child is entering the pool area can be the best precaution. Furthermore, as a second defense, The Pool Place also sells alarms that detonate when a splash in the pool occurs.
In the off season, many people use canvas coverings and forget to take precautions to keep their children away from the pool, he said. If a child steps onto a canvas cover, he/she could fall through and be “enveloped by the cover.” Mr. May suggested a safety cover specifically used in the off season that tightly stretches across the pool assuring that it will hold a person should they step on it. These items are all sold at The Pool Place.
Mr. May noted that Consumer Report has issued a warning against inflatable pools. These pools are usually not fenced in, he said, but should be emptied on a regular basis so they will not be a hazard. Unfortunately, he said most people fail to drain these pools.
Ms. Campbell also noted that pools and hot tubs also present the risk of entrapment. Entrapment occurs when part of a child’s body becomes attached to a drain because of the powerful suction of the filtration system. Death or serious injury can occur when the force of the suction overpowers children’s ability to free themselves from the drain.
Entrapments deaths can also occur when a child’s hair or swimsuit gets tangled in the drain or on an underwater object such as a ladder.
Entrapment is generally a little-known risk for drowning, but from 1985 to 2004, Safe Kids Worldwide reported that 34 children, 14 and under died as a result of pool and hot tub entrapment, and 130 children, 14 and under were injured.
Parents, caregivers and pool owners can help prevent drownings by following a few general safety tips.
Teach children to swim and not dive where the water is shallow
Parents should actively supervise children around water, and have a phone nearby to call for help in an emergency
Pool owners should ensure that their pool has four-sided fencing and a self-enclosing, self-latching gate to prevent a child from wandering into the pool area unsupervised.
Pool and hot tub owners should install a door and window alarm to alert them if a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised.
Parents should warn children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment and teach them to stay away from drains.
Pool and hot tub owners should install protective measures to prevent entrapments, such as anti-entrapment drain covers, multiple drains, and a SVRS device to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
Safe and Sound is a prevention service of T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital and is the Chattanooga affiliate of Safe Kids Worldwide (formally known as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign), the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury – the No.1 killer of children ages 14 and under.
Information regarding CPR and swim lessons available at area Sports Barn Locations can be found www.sports-barn.com.
Tip sheets about pool and hot tub safety and other related topics are also available online at www.erlanger.org or by calling (423) 778-6691.
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Becky Campbell
Photograph by Suzanne Walker
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