Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer Offers Five Important Swimming Pool Safety Tips

By Grant Law Office on June 6, 2013

Now that summer is upon us, it is important to review swimming pool safety tips. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 10 people die from unintentional drowning every day. Approximately two of those victims are aged 14 or younger. For every child who drowns, another five require emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Not all drowning incidents can be prevented, but a number of these tragic accidents are entirely avoidable. Here are five important swimming pool safety tips to remember:

• Take swimming lessons. Children and adults who take formal swimming lessons have a significantly decreased chance of drowning.
• Always provide close supervision. Whenever children are near a pool, even when they are not swimming, they must be closely monitored. Drowning can happen suddenly and quietly wherever there is water.
• Build barriers. If you are a pool owner, it is vital that you install fencing around the pool area. The CDC reports that having a four-sided isolation fence reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 83 percent.
• Avoid alcohol. Up to 70 percent of adolescent and adult drowning accidents involve alcohol use. The affects of alcohol are heightened by heat and sun exposure. This summer, make sure there is a sober adult by the pool at all times.
• Learn CPR. Whether you are a pool owner or not, you should learn CPR. The quicker CPR is administered to a drowning victim, the better his or her chances are of recovering.

If your child has been injured in a swimming accident, it is important that you seek out medical attention right away. He or she may have suffered brain trauma that is not immediately apparent. It is also advisable to discuss your legal rights and options with an experienced Atlanta child injury lawyer like Wayne Grant who can help protect your legal rights and options. The legal team at The Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. can be reached at (404) 995-3955.