10 Ways to Prevent Swimming Pool Accidents

“Danger. No Swimming Allowed.”

A strict warning like this might prevent most pool accidents. But it’s not realistic; swimmers don’t expect pool owners to go to this extreme.

However, if you’re a swimmer, you expect a pool owner to at least take the proper precautions. Because when precautions aren’t taken, swimming can be extremely dangerous and deadly.

Worldwide, drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S., the National Safety Council ranks drowning as:

• The #2 cause of accidental death for people ages 5 to 24; and
• The #1 cause of death for young children.

In the case of child deaths, most drowning accidents occur when a child falls into a swimming pool or is left unattended in a bathtub. And children are most in danger of drowning during warm-weather months—specifically,May through August, which has the highest drowning rate for children.

Drowning isn’t the only swimming-pool danger that swimmers face. Besides the risk of drowning, swimming pools pose various hazards, including

• Contaminated water
• Over-chlorination
• Electric shock
• Diving board injuries
• Drain hazards
• Entrapment within a winter pool cover.

To protect swimmers from injury, a pool owner is responsible for safety in and around the pool. Safety measures that should be taken include:

• Erecting self-latching/self-locking barriers or fencing around the pool
• Installing alarms on gates leading to the pool
• Providing lifejackets and rescue/first-aid equipment
• Supervising swimmers and children at all times
• Staying within arm’s reach of young swimmers
• Banning alcohol while swimming or supervising children
• Maintaining pool drains
• Properly storing chemicals
• Sanitizing pool water
• Enforcing diving board rules
• Keeping the pool area free of toys and pool equipment

Have you or a loved one suffered a swimming-pool injury? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. The lawyers of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC are here to help you. For a free consultation, call us now at 412-471-4300, or email us. We represent residents in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.