Pool safety should always be a top priority for any parent. Children are naturally drawn to water, and the fact that we are in the middle of winter should not be any reason to let your guard down when it comes to keeping your children safe around the swimming pool. With the start of the school holidays, most families will have their children at home in an elevated state of excitement, and the swimming pool may be an activity that the kids will want to indulge in. Accidents can also happen when children play on top of the pool cover where these protective shields can often break causing an unexpecting child to go into a panic when entering the water.
Crisis support and response company, CrisisOnCall provides us with some crucial advice to keep your children safe around the water while they enjoy their school holidays.
“The school holidays for many parents can be a bit stressful with trying to balance work from home while keeping an eye on the children. Accidents happen when we have too much on our plate. Take the necessary time off while school holidays are here or find some extra support to keep an extra eye on the children,” says Hendrik Neethling, chief executive officer at CrisisOnCall. “If you have a pool at home, now is the time to implement the necessary safety measures like perimeter fencing and a secure pool cover.”
Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, with an estimated 236 000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. In South Africa, drowning ranks 35th on the list of most common causes of death, where 29% of fatal drownings are children under 14 years of age, with the highest drowning rate occurring with children below the age of five years.
“Limiting access to the pool area during winter months remains one of the best forms of prevention against drowning. This can be in the form of security fencing around the water body, secure covers over pools, and close supervision while children are playing near the pool area. It is also important to establish rules that prevent children from playing on top of the pool cover which can often be quite an enjoyable activity for them, unfortunately, this is dangerous,” says Neethling. “It is also the time to check and ensure that all these protective barriers are sufficient and free of tears.”
“One of the best things you could do to ensure that your children are safe while playing around the pool is to increase your preparation in the case of an emergency,” says Neethling. “Accidents happen so quickly. It, therefore, helps to have an emergency or medical response service on speed dial. A rapid response service can mean the difference between a fatality and a life saved.”
To increase your preparation in the event of an emergency, contact CrisisOnCall on 0861 57 47 47. CrisisOnCall will be your voice in times of need, especially when a home emergency occurs.