Safety Tips

Swimming Accident Attorney – Buffalo / Rochester New York (NY)

Rules for Pools

• Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high and installed completely around the pool. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be out of a small child's reach. Keep furniture that could be used for climbing into the pool area away from fences.
• If your house forms one side of the barrier to the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce a sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.
• Don't leave pool toys and floats in the pool or pool area that may attract young children to the water.
• For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.
• Pool alarms can be used as an added precaution. It is recommended that remote alarm receivers be used so the alarm can be heard inside the house or in other places away from the pool area.
• Instruct babysitters about potential pool hazards to young children and about the use of protective devices, such as door alarms and latches.
• Emphasize the need for constant supervision. Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.
• During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a "designated watcher" to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the "watcher." When adults become preoccupied, children are at risk.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom and surface, as well as the pool area.
• Do not allow a young child in the pool without an adult. Do not consider young children to be immune from drowning simply because they have had swimming lessons. Children must be watched closely while swimming.
• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Babysitters and other caretakers, such as grandparents and older siblings, should also know CPR.
• Keep rescue equipment by the pool. Be sure a telephone is poolside with emergency numbers posted nearby.
• Never prop-open the gate to a pool barrier.
• To prevent body entrapment and hair entrapment/entanglement, have a qualified pool professional inspect the drain suction fittings and covers on your pool and spa to be sure that they are the proper size, properly attached, and meet current safety standards. If your pool or spa has a single drain outlet, consider installing a safety vacuum release system that breaks the vacuum to avoid potential entrapment conditions.

Rules at the Beach

• Learn to swim
• Swim near a lifeguard
• Never swim alone
• Supervise children closely, even when lifeguards are present
• Don't rely on flotation devices, such as rafts, you may lose them in the water
• If caught in a rip current, swim sideways until free, don't swim against the current's pull
• Don’t consume alcohol and then go swimming
• Don’t dive into unfamiliar waters go feet first
• If you are in trouble, call or wave for help
• Follow regulations and lifeguard directions
• Swim parallel to shore if you wish to swim long distances
• Report hazardous conditions to lifeguards or other beach management personnel
• Stay at least 100 feet away from piers or break walls. Rip currents often exist along the side of fixed objects in the water.
• Be aware of water conditions. Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a swimming accident, call us now at 1-800-483-2050 or contact us by clicking on Rochester \ Buffalo Swimming Injury Attorney.

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