We posted this photo earlier this week and asked you to spot the five hidden dangers. We received a bunch of comments from people who definitely know a thing or two about pool safety.
Congrats to the following for winning a Canadian Red Cross iPod speaker and a first aid kit! (They were the first five to have the correct answers).
- Pat Anderson
- Victoria Spencer
- Kelli Ellis
- Sylvia Gallus
- Melissa Hawki
If you were unable to spot the dangers, here they are:
- No automatic self-closing, self-latching gate: This kind of gate could eliminate nearly all pool drownings of toddlers, prevent about 10 per cent of all drownings in Canada, and save about 50 lives of 1-4 year-old children each year. The home should never open into a pool area as children can wander out of the house into the pool.
- Toys in the pool: Remove all toys from the pool after playtime is over; they can tempt children to the edge of the pool or into the water when there is no supervision.
- Diving board: Many, perhaps most, in-ground home pools are unsafe for diving, even pools fitted with a diving board. The deep end is often too short making head-first entries risky. The best safety practice is to avoid diving in home pools.
- The alcoholic beverages: Alcohol is involved in about half of swimming drownings. Avoid alcohol when swimming or diving, since even small amounts can increase the risk of injury.
- Ummm... where are the adults? Whether at home or on vacation, adult supervision is the best protection for children – even those who can swim. This means keeping children in your line of sight at all times, watching them, and staying close to them.
Some of you even spotted a few extra dangers. Well done safety team! Thanks to everyone who participated.