At Potter Burnett Law, everything we do is geared toward making our communities better places for everyone. Most of the time, this means we provide top-tier legal counsel to people in need. But sometimes it means giving back to our communities and sharing important safety tips and knowledge. With summer right around the corner and Maryland pool parties soon in full swing, now is a good time to take a quick review of swimming pool safety tips.
5 Must-Know Swimming Pool Safety Tips
- Choose adults to act as lifeguards: If you are not going to a public swimming pool with a dedicated lifeguard on duty, then you need to assign adults in your group to act as lifeguards. Even if there are no children at your pool party, there should be one or two “lifeguards” who will stay sober and be ready to intervene if someone is in danger.
- Always stay near children: Adults need to stay near and supervise children at all times, whether or not the children are currently in the pool. Children are more likely to slip on the wet ground near a pool and fall in accidentally, especially if they are running around while playing. Never leave a child unattended near or in the water, which applies to both pools and spas.
- Keep floatation devices available: Emergency floatation devices and buoyancy aids should be kept next to the swimming pool. Toys like inflatable rafts, inner tubes, and foam pool noodles are not floatation devices to be used in an emergency and should not be used as a substitute.
- Learn CPR: At least two adults in your group should know how to safely perform CPR on children and adults. If there are two people capable of performing CPR, then you do not need to worry about the person who needs CPR being the same one who knows how to perform it. Remember to call 911 and put the dispatcher on speakerphone while you begin CPR, so emergency medical technicians can be en route sooner than later.
- Install barriers and gates: One of the best ways to stop accidental drownings in backyard swimming pools is to install barriers and gates around the water that children cannot climb or open. Even though a barrier should not be used as an excuse to keep a child unattended near the water, it will dramatically minimize the risk of a child – or an intoxicated adult – stumbling into the water.
This list of safety tips is only the beginning of ways to improve swimming pool safety and prevent accidental drownings, of course. For even more information, you should visit https://www.poolsafely.gov/.
Can Homeowners Be Liable for Swimming Pool Accidents?
If a loved one is hurt in a swimming pool accident this summer, then you will understandably wonder if the homeowner could be held liable for the damages and losses that follow. It might be possible if they were negligent in how their pool was set up and how easy it was to access. For example, in Maryland, an “attractive nuisance” law allows you to file a claim against a homeowner who did not take reasonable precautions to prevent young children from entering the pool unattended, even if those children were not invited onto the property.
If you have any questions about swimming pool accident cases in Maryland, then please feel free to get in touch with Potter Burnett Law. We can sit down with you during a free initial consultation, hear the key details of what happened, and let you know if we think you have a case that should be pursued. Thank you.