With the smell of fresh grilled meat, clinking of ice-cold drinks, and sound of laughter in the water, families enjoy the last days of summer on Labor Day weekend. Enjoy your time together, but stay safe. Lives can be saved by being proactive around water: either the pool or the lake.
Small Children
Vigilance is the best policy with small children around water. A thirty pound child can drown in as little as 30 seconds in 2 inches of water. Most accidents of children 5 and under happen in the home and with an adult present. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by a phone or anything else when supervising a toddler near or in the water. When they are swimming, equip your child with flotation devices and teach them basic skills to enhance their safety and fun.
Prevention
It’s important to use fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates, and alarms to help prevent children from accessing water unsupervised. Keep a phone handy to call 911 in an emergency. Taking basic CPR and water rescue skills classes can help you to save someone’s life and improve their recovery.
Electrical Shock
Electrical Shock Drowning (EDS) happens when a faulty electrical current leaks into water. Even a low amperage current can cause paralysis that results in drowning. Because of the paralysis people cannot call out for help, so EDS is known as “A Silent Killer.” These incidents are generally in pools and around piers and docks at lakes. One way to prevent this is through GFCI. GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets and circuit breakers prevent electrocution by turning off the current in 1/40th of a second when an imbalance of power is detected. Make sure you have working GFCI receptacles; the normal lifespan is between 7 and 25 years for properly covered GFCI receptacles.
At Pools
The most common issue inspectors find is that the area around the pool or spa is missing GFCI receptacles. All pool equipment should be bonded and grounded. This includes the pool itself and all the parts like the light, ladder, and equipment. Bonding and grounding protects people. If one piece becomes energized, the electrical current is diverted and the GFCI circuit breaker shuts down almost immediately to prevent shock and EDS.
At Lakes
Electrically charged piers and boat docks kill people every year due to lack of maintenance. Many do not have working GFCI receptacles. All receptacles must be GFCI protected to stop a lethal electrical charge. This charge can be caused by waterproof lights mounted around docks. The water eventually corrodes even the best lights and allows an electrical current into the water. All metal components of a dock and all equipment must be bonded and grounded to prevent tragedies. Even a string of party lights can energize the water and electrocute someone. The best practice is to not swim within 50 yards of any known electrical source. Even if your dock is updated, are all your neighbors?
Safety comes first! Be proactive about your pool, pier, or dock. Have a licensed electrician inspect it for electrical safety annually. Once you’ve done that, you can relax and enjoy the party. Relish the last days of summer and stay safe!