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INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE
Contact: Press Offices
New York: 212-346-5500; media@iii.org
Washington, D.C.: 202-833-1580
NEW YORK, June 5, 2009 When temperatures start to soar, many people will be taking advantage of the heat-beating delights of a swimming pool. Whether you have a luxury in-ground pool, or plan to blow up the simplest of inflatable above-ground pools, it is important to consider the insurance and safety implications, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I).
Swimming pools have been steadily rising in popularity, with more than 8.3 million households owning an in-ground or above-ground poolup almost 10 percent since 2002, according to an annual report by the Association of Pool and Spa professions.
All poolsfrom a simple kiddy pool to an aquatic extravaganzacan be dangerous and need to be properly insured and comply with local safety standards, said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I.
According to a May 2009 report posted at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissions Web site, 886 children aged five and younger died after drowning in either a pool or spa between 2004 and 2006. The report also shows that the majority of these deaths and injuries occurred in residential settings (79 percent) and that the parents or caretakers lost contact or knowledge of the whereabouts of the children involved (46 percent) before the child managed to access the pool or spa. Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years; for every child who dies from drowning, five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
The I.I.I. suggests taking the following steps when considering a pool:
If the pool itself is expensive, you should also have enough insurance protection to replace it in the event it is destroyed by a storm or other disaster.
The I.I.I. also recommends taking the following safety precautions:
For more insurance and safety information, go to the I.I.I. Web site.
For related audio, go to Insuring and Safeguarding Your Swimming Pool.
For related video, go to Swimming Pool Safety.
The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.