Although Labor Day marks the unofficial close of outdoor swimming pool season, drowning risks for young children are significant year-round. According to recent data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), “drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4.” The biggest risks are found inside the home with around 92 percent of drowning incidents happening in residential settings, according to the agency.
The CPSC reports 660 submersion household water accidents involving children younger than five years old, from 2005 to 2009. Out of those, there were 431 deaths, 212 injuries and 17 accidents with undetermined injuries. Most of the victims were under two years old and involved baths or bath-related products (the leading cause of drowning for children behind swimming pools), while buckets, containers and even landscaping equipment were also involved in accidents.
The majority of accidents reported occurred when a parent or caregiver left the child alone in a bath or near a water source for a brief amount of time while attending to a domestic task. In other cases, older siblings were left in charge of monitoring a child. A young child can drown in only a few inches of water, so a potential risk isn’t always easily discernible without proper education and awareness.
CPSC Drowning Prevention Instructions:
- Never leave a child unattended in a bath or near any water source, no matter the amount of water present.
- Never go more than an arm’s length away from a child in a bath tub. If you have to exit the room, take the child along.
- Never leave a young child in a bathtub under the supervision of another child
- Never leave any amount of liquid in a bucket or container unsupervised around a young child. Toddlers are top heavy and can fall into buckets headfirst.
In addition to those rules, putting locks on toilet seat covers and learning CPR can help avoid tragedy. Has your child has been injured due to negligent supervision near a household water source? Please call (405) 705-5050 to speak with an Oklahoma personal injury lawyer with Maples Law Firm today for a complimentary case review.
