Prevention Plan for the Fresno Area
The U.S. Consumer Project Safety Commission suggested guideline that were incorporated into California building codes and standards for the building industry. These changes require at least a fence around the pool or door alarms for all new pools. The California Uniform Building Code ruling is expected to be in effect by 1991. Other enhancements to these safety standards might be included in these Code changes, such as automatic safety covers for in ground pools or self - closing and latching sliding or standard doors.
(California Building code 2016 residential swimming pools)
The Water Safety Council of Fresno County continues to educate the general public with programs for children and adults. Teaching CPR to homeowners or other adults who are responsible for pool supervision is a necessity.
Even under the best of supervision and with protective barriers, a child or adult may have a submersion injury in water. Rapid activation of the County EMS system can be lifesaving. Adult supervisors should know how to start CPR and call for help. Charts at the pool side are of little use in an emergency.
Prevention Plan 1990
BARRIERS
Factors that need to be considered include the physical characteristics of the child, the child's capabilities and motor coordination and risk of additional injuries.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
A child of age 3 in the 80th percentile is 39 inches. The vertical grip reach for this group is 4.26 feet. This measure is taken from a normal standing position and does not include rising on the balls of the feet or jumping. (8)
Children become mobile around 7 months, with 50% of children at this age able to creep on hands and knees.(9)
The head breadth for a 5th percentile 7-month-old is about 4.5 inches. (8)
For children ages 2 - 3 1/2 years, the 5th percentile foot width is 2.1 inches and the 95th percentile foot width is 2.72 inches. (10)
CAPABILITIES
Children in the at-risk age group are developing rapidly. By 13 months, 50% of children walk well alone; by 13 1/2 months, 75% do so; and by 14 months 90% walk well alone. (8) The most striking characteristic of these children is their ability to do new and different things on an almost daily basis. New skills are learned and practiced constantly. These skills are a result not only of the normal development and Improvement of motor and manipulative skills that occur within creasing age, but they are also the result of observation and learning. These children cannot be relied upon to follow instructions, nor can they be taught to swim well enough to save themselves in the event of an immersion incident.
ADDITIONAL INJURIES
The total home environment must be considered in the development of effective barriers. The barrier itself should not provide a possible site for injury.
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
1. Pool Fence
A fence that surrounds the pool, equipped with self-latching gates, has been shown to be an effective prevention strategy (7,11).
2. Pool covers and Alarms
Pool covers must be removed and replaced every time the pool is used presenting a significant problem in compliance. Pool alarms have serious problems with false alarms and failures (12).
3. Counseling Parents to Install Pool Fencing
Injury prevention counseling by pediatricians with parents of children under age 4 has been shown to be effective in changing behavior (13).
PEDIATRIC EMS SYSTEMS
1. CPR
Immediate CPR conducted at the pool side has been shown to improve survival outcome (14)
2. Pediatric Critical Care Center (PCC)
Rapid transport of critically ill children to P.C.C.'s has been shown to improve survival outcome (15). Data from Oakland Children Hospital's PCC have shown the outcome of Category C1 and C2 near drowning patients is dramatically improved with appropriate critical care (2).