Glossary
Barrier
Anything that keeps a child from reaching water unsupervised, such as a pool fence, locked door, gate or toilet lock.
A barrier is anything that physically keeps a child from reaching water without an adult. Barriers are the first layer of protection because they work during the moments no one expects a child near water, which is when most young children drown. The AAP (opens in a new tab) says 69% of drownings of children 4 and younger happened during non-swim times.
Common barriers:
- a four-sided pool fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate;
- locks, doorknob covers and alarms on doors leading to the yard or pool;
- toilet lid locks and a latched bathroom door;
- covers locked on hot tubs.
The CDC (opens in a new tab) says a four-sided isolation fence that separates the pool from the house and yard cuts a child's drowning risk by 83% compared with three-sided property-line fencing. The Red Cross (opens in a new tab) recommends adding a secondary barrier such as door alarms. See pool fences and gates and keeping toddlers from slipping outside.
What you can do today: check every door that leads to water and make sure it locks with the latch out of a child's reach.