Summer's In Session: Pool Safety

In light of a last week's tragedy, when 4-year-old Vicente Cardenas passed away after drowning in a public pool, it is important to remember to practice pool safety, whether at a public or private pool. Though the toddler's death is still under investigation, he was found in five feet of water, surrounded by lifeguards and staff from his day-care center, reports the Chicago Tribune. It is unclear if any of the children had life jackets.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends the following steps for parents to keep their children safe:



Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water

Teach children basic water safety tips

Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa

If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first

Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors

Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim

Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly

Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency

Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments

On a related note, all public pools in Illinois, thanks to an October 2011 law, are being upgraded to safer drains that avoid entrapments. Twelve outdoor public pools were closed last weekend for the upgrades; the rest are finished. It is expected that all will be ready and open this weekend, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

If, instead of public pools, you prefer the privacy of your own yard, the following tips should help to keep you, your children, and neighboring kids safe, as well as shield you from liability for injuries to others.



Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.

Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.

If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.

Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water

Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know

Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order

Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm

For more information, check out the CPSC's Pool Safety website. Stay cool and stay safe.

Related Resources:



Find a Chicago Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)

Rodney King Autopsy Underway After Drowning (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

Man Awarded $ 4M for Diving Into Shallow End (FindLaw's Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog)

Grill Masters: Beware the Bristles of the Barbeque Brush! (FindLaw's New York Personal Injury Law Blog)


The Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog

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