As the weather is getting warmer and summer is quickly approaching, it’s finally time to hit the beach and take a dip in the pool! Although this is a carefree time of year, pool maintenance is not something that should be disregarded. If you are a property owner or a manager with a pool on the premises, this is the perfect time for you to reassess all of your pool maintenance and safety habits to ensure that no accidents happen this summer or any to follow.
Data found from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, throughout the entire nation, drowning is the leading cause of death for children of ages 1 and 4 years old. Each year, in the United States, more than 3,500 people drown or suffer a serious injury in relation to a near-drowning incident (CDC). These numbers prove how important it is to consider pool safety a top priority.
If found that negligence is present, in regards to safety and prevention of accidents, a hotel/resort is ultimately responsible for any accidents or drownings that occur on the property. Some of the safety tools that are expected to be available to guests in a pool include ladders, disinfectants, and lighting. Without a lifeguard on duty, the importance of these safety features increases. Distinguished Programs, a National Insurance Program Manager, has created a checklist that will allow you to ensure that your pool is operating at prime safety, in effort to prevent any accidents from occurring. The checklist can be found here and includes items such as testing the water daily, providing a pool telephone with clearly listed emergency numbers, and clearly marking
shallow and deep ends.
With the average number of drownings and near-drowning incidents increasing each year, a new federal law known as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was passed in December of 2008. This act specifically addresses issues with pool and spas intake drains. It is vital to make sure that your current or future pool/spas follow the guidelines of this act. Assessing the Anti-Entrapment Devices now, can prevent accidents from happening in the future. For a list of the acceptable devices and guidelines to comply to the act, you can visit the following document provided by Distinguished Programs.
Protect your property and protect your guests. Take action before the summer begins. We want you to be prepared! For further information on how you can get protected, you can contact us at 410-877-0017 or at www.AIOINC.us .
Resources
National Insurance Program Managers | Distinguished Programs . N.p., 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 10
May 2017.