The prevention of swimming pool accidents can be boiled down to two key points: Community association board members understanding their responsibilities for managing a swimming pool and taking preemptive measures to bolster pool safety, enforce rules, and bring awareness to swimming pool guidelines.

While the majority of poolside injuries are minor in nature, more serious injuries, such as infection or death due to lack of implementation of federal and local swimming pool regulations, can leave a community association wide open to liability claims. Therefore, it is vital for those involved in the community association, and those in charge of swimming pool management, to thoroughly understand their responsibilities and to proactively manage the community’s pool. Typical medical costs for a near drowning victim can range from $75,000 for initial emergency room treatment to $250,000 a year for more long-term care. Cases have shown the cost of a near drowning resulting in brain damage exceeds more than $5.5 million. The death of a child due to drowning, in one instance, led to a settlement of $104 million.

Pool Safety Tips

• Install anti-entrapment drain covers. Make sure that your drain covers are compliant with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act of 2007.
• Prohibit glass containers in the pool area. One shattered glass endangers a lot of bare feet.
• Inspect pool equipment annually, such as pumps, drains, and heaters. Keep a logbook to track inspections.
• Use safety vacuum release systems with pool pumps. If the pump detects a change in vacuum pressure that could be caused by a person’s body, the pump will either shut off, or the system will inject air into the pump. This will free the person from the suction, thereby preventing drowning.
• Educate parents on community pool safety tips, including keeping children away from pool drains and having them follow the rules for the pool.

Article provided by Dreher Insurance