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Child Injury

As the weather in Waco continues to heat up, children will be chafing at the bit to go swimming in neighborhood and municipal pools. While there is nothing wrong with a swim to cool off on a hot day, parents should first make sure that the pool is safe to be used by their children.

It should go without saying that adult supervision is a necessity whenever there are kids swimming in the pool. But pool safety goes far beyond that. Read on for some tips to make your kids’ summer swimming experiences safer for them.

Don’t let them swim if you notice any of the following

1. The pool is dirty

Green or murky water is a clear indicator that the pool has not been recently cleaned or chemically treated. You should be able to clearly see the pool bottom when standing by the side.

2. There is no rescue equipment

All pools should have a safety ring to toss to a struggling swimmer and/or a shepherd’s crook to tow them in. It’s also good to have a floating line stretched across the pool separating the shallow end from the deep.3. There’s a strong odor of chlorinePool chemicals must be properly mixed or swimmers can suffer asthma attacks and other breathing problems. Swimmers must wait several hours to swim after a pool has been chemically treated.4. The drain covers are loose or missing

Children and adults both can suffer fatal evisceration injuries or drown due to drain entrapment. While newer pools should conform to safety standards that prevent such devastating injuries, older pools and spas may not.In addition to the above signs of a dangerous pool environment, children should be taught never to dive into shallow water. They should also be warned against horseplay and dunking one another under the water’s surface.

If you are the owner of a pool, it must be enclosed behind a fence with a locking gate. Pools and spas are considered to be “attractive nuisances,” meaning that they can attract children who should not be swimming unsupervised. Some pool owners go a step farther and have pool alarms that go off if a child or pet falls into the water.

If your child winds up injured in a swimming pool, you must advocate for them legally to get the compensation they need to fully recover.

Author Photo

Michael Zimmerman

Michael was born in Houston, Texas. His education at Baylor and Texas State Universities earned him a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. His major was in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. He finished his legal education at Texas Southern University in 1990, earning a Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990.

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