Swimming Season Ends but Home Drowning Danger Continues
This week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an interesting warning to consumers concerning childhood drownings. The Commission noted that while the danger of outdoor drownings in swimming pools has wound down with the coming of fall, the danger of young children drowning in bathtubs, bathinettes and even buckets continue throughout the year.
The Commission published statistics from 2003-2005 that show that an average of 90 children under 5 years old drown in homes each year. The deaths occur in bathtubs (62%), baby seats or bathinettes (15%), buckets and pails (11%), landscaping or yard products (6%) and other products (4%).
The Commission suggests the following safety tips:
Never leave young children alone, even for a moment near any water.
Keep young child within arm’s reach in bathtub. If you must leave, take child with you.
Don’t leave a baby or toddler in bathtub under care of another young child.
Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers fall headfirst into buckets and drown.
This is sound advice If you are caring for young children, it is always a good idea to take a few moments to review the potential dangers in your premises, and remind yourself of these very common sense tips. Be safe out there.