WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Water anywhere can be a
potential drowning hazard. While pools are an obvious risk, parents should
not let their guard down around other hazards such as bathtubs and buckets.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents that
children need to be supervised around these common but sometimes hidden
drowning dangers.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO )
After pools, more children drown in bathtubs than in any other product
in and around the home. From 2002 through 2004, CPSC has reports
(http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia08/os/buckets.pdf) of 221 children
younger than 5 who drowned in bathing-related incidents. Most of these
children were younger than 2 years old. Often these incidents involve
caregivers leaving the room momentarily to answer the phone/door or to
retrieve an item like a towel. In other incidents, an older sibling was
left to watch a younger sibling.
Reported drowning incidents received by CPSC confirm another drowning
hazard -- buckets. CPSC has reports of 94 bucket-related drowning or
submersion fatalities from 1999 through 2006. All but one of these deaths
were of children less than 2 years old.
"A child can drown very quickly in only inches of water," said CPSC
Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "Bathtubs, buckets, and other containers in and
around the home pose drowning hazards all year long."
CPSC recommends parents and caregivers follow these safety tips when
children are around bathtubs, buckets, spas, or decorative ponds or
fountains:
-- Never leave young children alone even for a moment near any water. Young
children can drown in even small amounts of water.
-- Always keep a young child within arm's reach in a bathtub. If you
must leave, take the child with you. Never leave to answer the phone,
answer the door, get a towel or for any other reason.
-- Don't leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub under the care of
another young child.
-- Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid
unattended. Toddlers can fall headfirst into buckets and drown. After
using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot
reach it. Don't leave buckets outside where they can collect
rainwater.
-- Prevent children from gaining access to spas or hot tubs when not in
use; always secure with safety covers and barriers.
-- Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when
there are only seconds to act.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting
the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from
thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths,
injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the
nation more than $800 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting
consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical,
chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of
consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters,
and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the
rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past
30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's
hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or
visit CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this
release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
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