FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 8, 2008

CONTACT: (609) 633-8507 Kate Bernyk

Acting Commissioner Ricketts Reminds Parents and Caretakers of Pool, Summer Safety

After five recently reported pool accidents involving New Jersey children, Department of Children and Families (DCF) Acting Commissioner Kimberly Ricketts is reminding parents to never leave children unattended near water and to child-proof backyard swimming pools.

“These recent tragedies are a sad reminder of how accidents can occur in a matter of minutes,” Acting Commissioner Ricketts said. “We want to stress the need to be vigilant with children around water, particularly during these hot, summer days when families are at the shore or around swimming pools.” 

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under 14. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools and in most cases those children had been in the care of their parents and out of sight for less than five minutes.

Acting Commissioner Ricketts stressed the following water safety tips for parents:

• Never leave a child alone around water. Children are drawn to it, and very young children can drown in just one inch of water.
• Always have an ADULT supervising young swimmers.
• Flotation devices or inflatable toys are not substitutes for supervision.
• Teach children to swim at an early age.
• Obey all posted or verbal rules, warning signs and other safety signs.
• Don’t mix alcohol and supervision of children.
• Always drain and store plastic or blow-up wading pools in an upright position.
• Enclose pools completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence, and do not leave furniture around that children can use to climb over the fence. You can contact the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards for more information regarding newly-constructed pools and residential codes at 609-292-7899.
• Be sure to remove pool covers completely to reduce the risk of children getting caught underneath.

More information is available through the Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA), a trade organization for swimming pool builders and retailers that distributes safety information to its members and consumers every year. On the Web, go to http://nespapool.org/safety.html. 

Acting Commissioner Ricketts also reminded parents about the dangers of leaving children unattended in or near cars. Several children in New Jersey have been killed or injured in the past years after being left or trapped inside a vehicle. 

“Even on a moderate day, the inside of a car can heat up to deadly levels in a short time,” said Acting Commissioner Ricketts. “It is never safe to leave a child unattended in a car, and if there are cars near where children play, parents must take precautions to be sure that kids cannot get into them.” 

For the more information on summer safety tips, and copies of the DCF summer safety brochure, visit the Web at: http://nj.gov/dcf/safety/campaigns/summersafety.html.

 

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