Common Swimming Pool Related Injuries

Common Swimming Pool Related Injuries
Common Swimming Pool Related Injuries

As we are now on the other side of Memorial Day, summer is about to kick into full swing. One of the most common and fun summertime activities is hanging by the pool. Whether it is your own pool or a community pool, relaxing at the pool is a perfect way to spend a hot summer day. With that being said, a nice day at the pool can turn quickly if you are not cognizant of the potential dangers and hazards associated with pools. To ensure you have a fun, relaxing and safe day at the pool, you need to be careful in and around the pool and identify potential hazards that could cause significant injury. The following are common pool related injuries to bear in mind as you head to the pool this summer.

  1. Slip and Fall

This first injury should come as no surprise. Slipping and falling near the pool is a common occurrence at pools everywhere. When you are at the pool with your friends, it is easy to be caught up in the moment and start running around. As the area around the pool is often slippery, this can lead to substantial injury. Running on wet surfaces can cause you to slip and fall, which can lead to a variety of injuries, such as twists, sprains, strains and broken bones. In addition to yourself slipping and falling, you could cause another visitor at the pool to slip and fall, especially if that person does not hear or see you coming towards them.

  1. Drowning

Another common pool related injury is drowning. Often, there are many visitors at the pool with a variety of different levels of experience swimming. This can cause a hectic environment and lead to oversight of some swimmers in the pool. Drowning can be caused by a number of different factors, including, but not limited to, the quality of swimmer, clothing getting caught on drains and/or objects in the pool and horseplay in the pool. It is important to always be on the lookout to make sure every swimmer is handling the environment well and not having difficulty staying above the water.

  1. Diving/Diving Board Injuries

A common, but sometimes dangerous, pool activity is diving and jumping off the diving board. Although a fun part of the pool, it is essential you abide by all pool rules regarding diving and make sure you only utilize the diving board when it is safe to do so. For instance, many pools are not deep enough to allow diving. Diving into a pool that is not deep can cause you to crush your body at the bottom of the pool at a high rate of force. This can certainly lead to severe injury. Also, when using the diving board, you need to make sure it is not too wet where you can slip and fall. Keep in mind that other swimmers are constantly using the diving board and it can be extremely slippery. Moreover, when on the diving board, before jumping into the pool, you must make sure there are no swimmers in the area where you are about to jump. You do not want to jump onto someone causing significant injury not only to yourself, but to another swimmer as well.

  1. Electrocution

Electrocution is also another common pool related injury. A lot of people like to play music by the pool or charge their cellphones. Being around outlets when wet can lead to electrocution and injury. Although this danger can be overlooked, electrocution is a real possibility if you are not careful. To ensure that electrocution does not occur, please make sure to fully dry off before trying to plug or unplug anything that requires electricity.

  1. Infections

Lastly, infections can occur while swimming in pools. Swimming in pools with an open cut can lead to a variety of different bacteria to enter the cut and cause an infection. It is important to bandage all open cuts/wounds before entering the pool to ensure your cuts do not get infected. By simply taking a small step to make sure all open cuts/wounds are covered before entering the pool can prevent a possible nasty infection and permits other swimmers to feel safe in the pool as well.

There are certainly more dangers to be aware of as you head to the pool this summer. It is important to be aware of the potential risks and acknowledge that many different types of injuries can occur at the pool. With that stated, as long as you are prudent, you should have an enjoyable, fun and relaxing summer at the pool!