The month of May is traditionally celebrated much like a holiday across America as the beginning of the summer season. Many children begin summer break, families take their first dip in the backyard swimming pool, and vacations long and short revolve around water. Unfortunately the month of May has historically signaled the beginning of a season of drowning tragedies across the United States. Whether it’s the backyard or community pool, a local lake, or beach, the danger of drowning is present whenever families spend time beside the water.
D&D Technologies is proud to support the National Drowning Prevention Alliance’s (NDPA) campaign to promote May as “National Water Safety Month,” in a collaborative effort across the country, with other organizations involved in water safety, drowning prevention, aquatic safety, and recreational activities. Both D&D and NDPA are reaching out to the public this month to educate families and communities regarding the serious risks of drowning and how to take the appropriate multiple steps toward safety and prevention.
The Facts About Drowning:
- Drowning is the leading cause of death for children in the US ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause for children ages 1 to 14 years.
- For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
- As many as twenty percent of near-drowning victims suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.
- In most cases, drowning is a silent event, without splashing or a call for help—drowning victims are physically unable to call out for help.
Drowning Prevention Begins with Layers of Protection: ”Where are my risks, and what strategies can I implement to reduce them?”
- Safer Water: Identify the risks associated with any body of water (bathtubs, toilets, pools, spas, lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.) and learn how to reduce them. For example, installing barriers such as isolation fencing around a pool and perimeter fencing enclosing a backyard would reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the pool by young children.
- Safer People: Reduce risks for the potential victim. This can be accomplished by maintaining constant, responsible adult supervision and acquiring water safety and swimming skills through ongoing qualified instruction.
- Safer Response: Reduce risk during an emergency by learning cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid and other rescue and emergency response techniques. If a child is missing, always check the pool or spa first, as every minute counts.
Isolation Fencing Provides a Critical Layer of Protection
- Install “isolation fencing” which completely separates the pool or spa area from the house or other structures. An isolation fence restricts unauthorized access from neighbors’ yards, other nearby buildings, and from inside the house. Isolation fencing is the preferred configuration for pool and spa protection.
- All gates must meet applicable local safety codes, and should be at least 48″ to 60″ tall.
- Gates should be self-closing and self-latching and accommodate a locking device such as D&D’s MagnaLatch® safety gate latch, along with self-closing hinges like D&D’s TruClose®.
- Gates should open away from the pool, have self-closing hinges, and should never be propped open. Check and adjust your gate regularly to make sure it operates correctly.
- The gate latch should be out of the reach of children with latch release at least 54″ from the bottom of the gate. Use a latch that is lockable and keep it locked when pool is not in use. Store the key out of children’s reach and make sure all adults know where the key is kept.
- Keep anything that can be climbed, such as chairs, tables, storage bins, playground equipment, ice chests, etc. inside the fence area.
MagnaLatch is the #1 child and pool safety gate latch in the world. Designed specifically for swimming pool gates, millions of families have trusted MagnaLatch over the past 25 years to help keep their pool areas safe. MagnaLatch S3, D&D’s newest product innovation, offers new safety features, including a visual indicator for easy to see lock/unlocked status and a 6-pin re-keyable lock for added security. The ML3 offers even higher levels of performance and has been tested to over 2 million cycles. Combine MagnaLatch with TruClose tension adjustable self-closing hinges for an effective self-closing and self-latching pool gate, completing one of the critical layers of protection.
MagnaLatch and TruClose products are manufactured and tested at D&D’s own facilities to meet rigid ISO 9001 standards. Quality is our top priority and manufacturing is never outsourced. All D&D products are backed by a limited LIFETIME Warranty.
Rust-free, pool safety gate hardware by D&D Technologies is available through fencing contractors as well as also direct to consumers at Home Depot, Lowe’s and other hardware and online retailers. Or you can go to www.ddtechglobal.com and select “where to buy” for your closest retailer.
About D&D Technologies
D&D Technologies is the recognized leader in safety and premium grade gate hardware, including MagnaLatch® magnetic pool and safety gate latches, TruClose® adjustable, self-closing gate hinges, SureClose® the commercial grade closer and hinge, and LokkLatch® gate latches. D&D’s diversity of products continually sets new standards in design, performance, craftsmanship and innovation—tied together by a singular level of quality. D&D products are rust free and consistently exceed all relevant safety barrier codes and are backed by a limited Lifetime Warranty. D&D is a co-founder and continuing supporter of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. For more information on D&D products, please visit the D&D Technologies web site at www.ddtechglobal.com, e-mail us at [email protected], or call toll-free at 1-800-716-0888 or (714) 677-1300.
About the National Drowning Prevention Alliance
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004. NDPA members are dedicated to preventing drowning for all age groups in all bodies of water through public education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. The public is invited to join by visiting www.ndpa.org.