MyPhillyLawyer’s Dean Weitzman to talk about pool safety tomorrow at noon on CBS 3-TV’s “Talk Philly” program

With the summer swimming season now upon us across the Delaware Valley, MyPhillyLawyer attorney Dean I. Weitzman will appear on the “Talk Philly” program on KYW-TV3 at noon tomorrow to remind viewers about the importance of swimming pool safety.

Weitzman will present pool safety tips to remind families of the importance of prevention when it comes to swimming pool tragedies. The live show will air from 12 p.m.to 12:30 p.m. with co-hosts Ukee Washington and Pat Ciarrocchi.

A life preserver ring floats in a tranquil swimming pool. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/studio9

Also to be announced on the show is the new MyPhillyLawyer Web site, BirthInjuryInfo.org, which is aimed at serving as an informational resource for parents of children who suffer injuries at birth.

BirthInjuryInfo.org includes detailed information about common birth injuries, including their symptoms, causes, and consequences. The site includes videos, articles and links to educate, support and empower parents as they begin the journey to provide lifelong care for their child.

“The most significant birth injuries are caused by deprivation of oxygen, which is the same cause of drownings,” Weitzman said. “Both kinds of cases need not happen with the proper care and prevention.”

Last month, MyPhillyLawyer’s blog published a blog post about pool safety which is a great guide to ensuring that your family and pool guests are safe while swimming on your property.

Weitzman will remind “Talk Philly” viewers of some of the main points about pool safety with five key safety tips:

*Completely Fence The Perimeter Around Your Pool – by closing off the pool to children who could wander into your yard, you can prevent accidental drownings and protect yourself from liability.

*Be Sure That All Young Children Playing Near Pools Are Wearing Life Vests – if a child should accidentally fall into a pool, they will be better protected by wearing an approved life vest.

*Never, Ever Leave Children Unsupervised Near A Pool – that means NEVER. If children are to be around or in a pool, they MUST be properly and adequately supervised by an adult who can swim and is trained in rescue techniques.

*Keep Rescue Equipment By The Pool At All Times – including a life ring and rope, a first aid kit and flotation devices.

*Parents Must Be Encouraged to Learn CPR – by knowing how to save a life in the event of an emergency, homeowners can protect their guests and themselves before rescue workers ever arrive.

According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drownings are the second leading cause of death among young children.

“Ten people die per day from drowning in the U.S. according to the CDC,” Weitzman said. “One  child a day in our nation dies from drowning. Another four children are injured daily in swimming pools. That’s too many.”

The rate of drownings for African-American children ages five to 14 is 3.1 times higher than for white children, according to the CDC, often because they never learned to swim. “That is an impossible statistic to accept,” Weitzman said.

Prevention and training are the keys to reducing the death rates, he said.

“Foam toys, like arm-flotation devices, are not life-saving tools,” Weitzman said. “In fact, relying on those could be causing more deaths than they save” by giving people a false sense of security.

The risk of drowning in a pool can be reduced by 83% by surrounding the pool with a four-sided fence, he said. And there’s another 88% reduction in drowning rates by teaching children how to swim before they ever set foot in a pool.

“We all must do everything we can to make pools safer for children who play in them,” Weitzman said. “It’s summer and time to have fun. Please join me in making your swimming pool safer for your family and guests so we can all prevent tragedies from ruining this great season.”