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Print This StoryPool Toys May Be Hidden Hazards
Tess Langfus, Contributing WriterSupervising adults also need to be aware of the hidden dangers in and near the pool such as toys, animals and pool accessories. Seldom are pool toys and accessories seen as dangerous, but if used improperly some can be deadly.
Adults should always be near the child when inflatable tubes are used as they can actually cause a child to tip over in the water. These tubes should never be used as a life-saving device; only Coast Guard-approved vests are recognized as drown-resistant.When vacating the pool, remove any floating toys, balls and diving rings that can lure a child into the pool and deeper waters. Likewise, a drifting air mattress can carry a child beyond an adult's reach. Kerr also recommends caution with household pets, especially overly excited or protective dogs, which can inadvertently knock young children into the water.Water slides and diving boards are another concern for pool owners, but the pool industry has labored to make them safer, says Rob Anderson, owner of Poolside in Little Canada and Eagan, Minn. Different sizes of slides are available with some built closer to the ground, and others are installed so the point of entry is in deeper water. Standards on diving pools regulate the depth and incline of the diving well, and pool owners are instructed on safe diving practices.The pool industry has also made great strides in averting death and injury from the pool's main drain system, but the hazard is still a concern in some older pools. If a person's body covers the pool's main drain, the pump's powerful vacuum can suction the person to the drain, resulting in body entrapment or disembowelment.New pools are constructed with a dual drain system -- thereby lessening the vacuum power of a single drain -- or without a return drain system at all, and the number of entrapment and disembowelment accidents has decreased.
Manufacturers also designed various drain covers to decrease the chances of a body covering the drain while lessening the possibility of hair drifting into the pump. But hair entanglement is still a problem, Kerr says, especially in older pools, kiddie pools and spas. She stresses the importance of tying up long hair to avoid it getting pulled in and tangled in the drain's pump.Even with these precautions, some states require manual shut-off switches for the pump to be affixed close to the pool in case of emergency. This system stops the vacuum pressure of the pump if it detects an object trapped in the pool's drain; some devices will also set off a visual and audible alarm.While the pool industry has responded to the safety concerns of pool ownership with improved standards and safety devices, older pools are not regulated by current standards. Carvin DiGiovanni, senior director of Technical Education and Government Relations at the National Spa & Pool Institute, recommends owners of pools built earlier than 1995 contact the NSPI or the city's inspections department for information on updated safety standards.Read More On Pool Safety: Additional Resources:
Adults should always be near the child when inflatable tubes are used as they can actually cause a child to tip over in the water. These tubes should never be used as a life-saving device; only Coast Guard-approved vests are recognized as drown-resistant.When vacating the pool, remove any floating toys, balls and diving rings that can lure a child into the pool and deeper waters. Likewise, a drifting air mattress can carry a child beyond an adult's reach. Kerr also recommends caution with household pets, especially overly excited or protective dogs, which can inadvertently knock young children into the water.Water slides and diving boards are another concern for pool owners, but the pool industry has labored to make them safer, says Rob Anderson, owner of Poolside in Little Canada and Eagan, Minn. Different sizes of slides are available with some built closer to the ground, and others are installed so the point of entry is in deeper water. Standards on diving pools regulate the depth and incline of the diving well, and pool owners are instructed on safe diving practices.The pool industry has also made great strides in averting death and injury from the pool's main drain system, but the hazard is still a concern in some older pools. If a person's body covers the pool's main drain, the pump's powerful vacuum can suction the person to the drain, resulting in body entrapment or disembowelment.New pools are constructed with a dual drain system -- thereby lessening the vacuum power of a single drain -- or without a return drain system at all, and the number of entrapment and disembowelment accidents has decreased.Manufacturers also designed various drain covers to decrease the chances of a body covering the drain while lessening the possibility of hair drifting into the pump. But hair entanglement is still a problem, Kerr says, especially in older pools, kiddie pools and spas. She stresses the importance of tying up long hair to avoid it getting pulled in and tangled in the drain's pump.Even with these precautions, some states require manual shut-off switches for the pump to be affixed close to the pool in case of emergency. This system stops the vacuum pressure of the pump if it detects an object trapped in the pool's drain; some devices will also set off a visual and audible alarm.While the pool industry has responded to the safety concerns of pool ownership with improved standards and safety devices, older pools are not regulated by current standards. Carvin DiGiovanni, senior director of Technical Education and Government Relations at the National Spa & Pool Institute, recommends owners of pools built earlier than 1995 contact the NSPI or the city's inspections department for information on updated safety standards.Read More On Pool Safety: Additional Resources:- National Spa & Pool Institute, (800) 323-3996
- American Academy Of Pediatrics
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
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