Prairie State Wire

Springfield, Ill—The popularity of residential pools has increased in recent years, raising the risk of accidental drownings. Homeowners and parents need to be extra vigilant to protect children who have access to water. Public pools are also popular summer destinations but can pose hidden dangers.

"Anywhere there is water there is a risk of drowning," said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. "It's important for parents and owners of pools to ensure all safety measures are in place to help prevent a tragedy from occurring. Stay off your phone and know where your children are at all times if you are in or around a pool."

Over 4,500 people died due to drowning each year from 2020-2022 in the United States, 500 more per year compared to 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This amounts to an average of 12 fatal drownings per day.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), child drownings continue to be the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old. Where location was known, 80% of reported fatal child drownings occurred in residential settings such as the victim's home or that of a family member, friend, or neighbor, with 91% of those drownings occurring in children younger than five years old. Between 2018 and 2020, there was an average of 371 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year. On average, from 2020 through 2022, there were an estimated 6,300 pool- or spa-related hospital emergency department-treated nonfatal drowning injuries each year. Seventy-six percent of these nonfatal drowning injuries involved children younger than five years old.

Statistics from the American Red Cross show that a four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child's risk of drowning by 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.

Pool chemicals like chlorine are needed to protect swimmers' health; however, mishandling these chemicals can cause serious injuries. Pool chemical injuries lead to about 4,500 U.S. emergency department visits each year, with over one-third of these preventable injuries occurring in children or teens.

Below are some steps recommended for keeping children safer in and around water:

- Install a four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate around all pools and spas.

- Ensure the gate is locked or closed when leaving the pool or spa.

- Keep the pool and deck clear of floats, balls, and toys after use.

- Always ensure children swim with an adult or buddy.

- Designate an adult Water Watcher to supervise children at all times around water.

- Never leave a child unattended in or near water.

- Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.

- Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults.

- Teach children to stay away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings.

- Ensure any pool or spa has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards.

- If installing a new pool, hot tub, or spa, ensure wiring is performed by an experienced electrician.

- Install door alarms and locks out of reach of children on all doors and windows with direct access to the pool or spa area.

- For above-ground pools, secure steps and ladders whenever not actively supervised by an adult.

- Empty or flip over inflatable pools when finished using them for the day.

Take the Pool Safety Pledge by visiting: www.poolsafety.gov/pledge.