In the summertime, kids water safety becomes top of mind for parents. Here’s your family’s guide to staying safe from common dangers associated with pools, fountains and lakes.
Why is Kids Water Safety Important?
For most kids, water is fun and fascinating. Parents are rightfully
concerned and cautious when water is near because kids aren’t fully
aware of the dangers. Kids have a higher risk of drowning in very little
water – whether at home or playing on vacation. As you think about
water safety, here are a few recent facts and statistics to keep in
mind.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death for kids. 12 percent of drownings in 2017 were kids ages four and younger. – National Safety Council
Infant drowning deaths often happen in bathtubs and large buckets. – Safe Kids Worldwide
87 percent of drowning fatalities for children younger than five years old are in home pools or hot tubs. – Red Cross
Young children can drown in only two inches of water – including toilets, inflatable pools and fountains. – Kids Health
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(U.S. CPSC) outlines the best safety barrier guidelines for home pools
and hot tubs. For your safety, you’ll also want to be aware of municipal and state pool barrier laws
before installing a pool – including any pool signage and fencing
requirements. Specific laws vary state by state, but pool fences and
gates should always be strongly considered, even if not required by law.
The U.S. CPSC outlines these pool barrier guidelines to keep in mind.
The pool’s barrier should completely surround the pool.
If
local laws do not define a required height, barriers should be at least
four feet high. Each entrance should have door alarms and self-closing
doors with self-latching, child-proof locks.
The space between
each slat should not exceed four inches. There should be no more than
four inches of space between the ground and the bottom of the pool
barrier.
Install the appropriate pool and drain covers to reduce the risk of entrapment and drowning from powerful suction.
It’s also important to be aware of pool suction entrapment and draining systems. In 2002, Virginia Graeme Baker drowned while being trapped by a hot tub draining suction. As a result, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act was passed to outline requirements for compliant drain covers and safety vacuum release systems (SVRS) to reduce the risk of suction entrapment related injuries and deaths. Make sure your safety drain covers and draining systems meet the VGB Act and CPSC requirements for better pool safety. And lastly, get familiar with any swimming programs and requirements in your area from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) for the latest on water safety.
It’s the right time to brush up on how to childproof your pool, maintain a safe swimming environment and ward off tragic accidents. Pools are meant to be enjoyed, so take these steps to keep them safe and fun. To better understand the nature of pool safety, keep a few things in mind:
Sadly, the possibility of pool injuries and fatalities is very real. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for young children aged one to four. In 2018, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at least 148 children under 15 years old fatally drowned in swimming pools or spas. For every death, twice as many children are hospitalized for injuries. 4-6 minutes underwater is enough to cause irreversible brain damage.
Portable “toy” pools require security measures just like their permanent in-ground and above-ground counterparts. Portable pools account for 10% of drowning fatalities of children under 15.
There’s no single safety device or protective measure that will completely childproof your pool or spa, or prevent every possible accident. Incorporate several types of the safeguards listed here into your pool safety plan.
Devices and barricades aren’t a substitute for an adult with a watchful eye. Never allow a child near water unsupervised, even if they can swim.
Step 1. Set Up Pool & Spa Barriers
Physical barricades (walls, fences and
covers) are the first line of defense. In some places, they are mandated
by state or municipal law. At a minimum, home insurance policies
typically require compliance with all local laws. Your policy most
likely dictates that you’re responsible for any accidents that happen to
pool visitors, even uninvited ones so it’s wise to block access.
What to Look for in Pool Fences
Children should not be able to get over, under or through the pool
wall or fence by themselves. Exact recommendations depend on the style
of barrier and the type of pool you have. Since local regulations vary
or may not exist, these pool barrier guidelines from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are a good place to start:
Fences around pools should be a minimum of four feet high; 5 feet or higher is preferable.
Spaces
in the fence should not be wide enough for a small child to fit
through. If a fence has vertical bars, they should be no more than four
inches apart.
Holes, cutouts or stones in a wall or fence should
not be big enough to provide hand and footholds. If there are cutouts
in the fence (such as decorative shapes or lattice holes) make sure the
openings are less than 1 ¾ inches wide.
Chain link fences should not exceed 1 ¼ inches square. If the fence mesh is too large, attach vertical slats to close off the openings.
Don’t put structures (like benches or large stones) nearby. These objects can help a child hop the fence.
Gates
to the pool area should have self-closing latches that are beyond the
reach of children. No fence is secure if the gate isn’t closed.
Another way to prevent accidents is to keep the water covered. For
smaller hot tubs and spas, rigid folding covers are better than soft
floating covers because they block water access more completely.
Consider using locking straps to secure the cover.
For pools, both manual and automatic covers are available. Manually
laid covers stretch across the top of the pool (either by hand or a
crank mechanism) and anchor into the pool deck. Automatically retracting
covers tend to be easier to use, but also more expensive. If you have
an automatic cover, keep the controls out of reach of children.
Another option is a pool safety net,
which stretches over the surface of the pool and anchors down around
its perimeter. When installed correctly, their strong synthetic
materials catch and support kids that tumble in.
Step 2. Secure the Gates & Doors
Consider all the pathways that children could follow from inside the
house to the water. Add security devices that make it harder to pass
through unsupervised.
Depending on the door style, childproof doorknob covers, lever locks and sliding door locks
are great additions to doors that lead outside (or anywhere else that’s
off limits). They’re inexpensive, easy to install and unobtrusive.
If there aren’t any preexisting fences or gates (or the current barriers are easy to crawl over), use baby gates or freestanding play yards to help keep little ones to a defined perimeter.
If you’re still concerned about kids getting into the pool after
you’ve secured the area, you can also consider getting a pool alarm, an
in-water motion detector that sounds alerts when activity is detected.
There are even wearable alarms for little escape artists.
Step 3. Inspect Pool Drains & Drain Covers
Pool and spa drains can create underwater suction with enough force
to trap even strong swimmers below the surface. Several tragic accidents
have occurred where children pulled into the drain did not only drown
or nearly drown, they also suffered physical injuries from the drain
itself.
In 2008, the Virginia Graeme Baker (VGB) Act passed,
requiring all public pools to have anti-entrapment drain covers. Home
pools are not bound by this law, but drain safety should be considered a
requirement nevertheless. Make sure all drain covers are clean,
VGB-compliant, and not broken or missing.
Step 4. Maintain the Pool & Cleaning Chemicals
When used properly, chlorine kills waterborne bacteria and parasites
in a way that’s harmless to humans. But less-than-clean pools and
mishandled chemicals can lead to irritation, illness and even fires or
explosions.
Keep chemicals completely out of reach of children, preferably locked
up. They should be stored separately from other household cleaners due
to the potential for chemical reactions that can cause combustions, The
storage area should be kept clean from leaves, dirt and other debris;
chemical spills should be cleaned up immediately. Request material
safety data sheets (MSDS) from your pool chemical dealer and keep them
nearby in case you have any questions about how to use, handle or store
the cleaning agents.
Step 5. Enforce Pool Safety Rules & Skills
This pool safety step is never truly finished. Parents must remain
vigilant about monitoring kids in and around the pool. Kids should be
taught not to run around the pool, to never enter it alone and to never
play near pool drains or jets.
Be mindful about which toys and floatation devices you allow and
enforce responsible play. Many experts suggest bypassing slides and
diving boards completely. Remember that life jackets and floats are only
secondary safety items, and they’re not enough protection on their own.
Family swimming lessons are also highly recommended, but they don’t
guarantee safety. To be as prepared as possible, parents and caretakers
should also learn the signs of drowning (you won’t usually see splashing or flailing) and consider becoming CPR/First Aid Certified.
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Whether you are into your cars or you’re a fan of James Bond or whether you know nothing about either, you have probably still heard of the Aston Martin DB5. It is not just a car but a thing of beauty and is one of, if not the most famous car in the world.
The Aston Martin DB5 was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1963. The DB5 is the evolution of the DB4 and the two are very similar in terms of looks. This is because John Wyer the Aston Martin general manager at the time had insisted that the styling of the DB4 had to come from an Italian coachbuilder. In stepped the Milanese company Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and the DB4 was created.
Aston Martin once again teamed up with Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera when creating the DB5. While there are many similarities to the DB4 on the outside, it was the inside of the car which really stepped up its luxury game. The car came with electric windows, chrome wire wheels, reclining seats, wool pile carpets, twin fuel tanks, leather trim and a fire extinguisher as standard and for an extra £320 you could also have air conditioning.
While these luxury additions came with added weight, Aston Martin improved the cars specs by adding a 4.0L engine, instead of the 3.7L which was in the DB4, and a 5-speed gearbox. This helped to produce a top speed of 142mph and meant the car could go from 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds.
While these specs look pretty impressive for 1963, the problem the car faced was it couldn’t compete with the Jaguar E-Type. Nevertheless, Aston Martin got the break they needed when Ken Adam, who was the producer for the James Bond film Goldfinger, asked Jaguar if they could use an E-Type in the film and the company declined. The producer approached Aston Martin after the effects expert John Stears suggested the DB5. The owner of Aston Martin, David Brown (the DB for the cars comes from the initials of the former owner), was unsure at first but he gave in and sent them the prototype. The car was then sprayed in its now famous Silver Birch and the rest, as they say, is history.
Goldfinger (released in 1964) showcased the DB5, gadgets and all, as the most famous car in the world and one of the most sought after. The sales for the DB4 had been good for the company, however, the sales of the DB5 were double that of its predecessor.
Today, the car has appeared in several other James Bond films and many other movies and has cemented itself as an icon in popular culture. When it was released the saloon would have set you back £4,175 and the convertible £4,490, if you wanted to buy a classic DB5 now it would set you back around £1m and in August 2018 Aston Martin revealed it was to build 25 replicas of the car seen in Goldfinger, revolving number plate and all, which would be available for approximately £2.75m.
Whether you are lucky enough to own one, have some money sat around ready to buy one or if it will always be a pipe dream the great thing about the DB5 is that we can all appreciate how much of a beautiful car it is. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to watch Goldfinger, again.
