Community Medicine Abstracts - College of Medicine and Health ...

Project No. 230 (2006)Pool Safety Among Vendors, Installers and Owners in UAEStudent Authors: Mohammed Juma Al-Oraimi, Mubarak Hamad Al-Darmaki, AhmedMihd Al-SaqqafFaculty Supervisors: Dr. P. Barss, Dr. M. Grivna, Dr. J. Schneider, Dr. R. BernsenAbstract:Objectives: Swimming pool in the yard can be very dangerous for children. Drowningis a frequent cause of child injury death in the Middle East, according to a study donein Al Ain region, in the United Arab Emirates (2005) 75% of students stated thatdrowning is nearly all or mostly preventable, 34% blamed drowning on carelessness ofthe child and 37% on fate or destiny. Other side of the issue is the swimming poolsvendors and installers that should be included in our assessment and investigations oftheir knowledge and safety practices of vendors and owners. The objective of ourstudy is to improve pool safety and prevent drowning in the swimming pools in UAE.Methods: A cross sectional survey of all swimming pool vendors, installers and ownersin the UAE was carried out in May 2006 using self administered questionnaires andthrough phone calls designed to assess their knowledge and safety practicesResults: The response rate in our study among the swimming pools vendors was 52%(n= 24 out of 46). On the other hand, 39 questionnaires were completed for the poolowners out of 50 with response rate of 78%. 79% of the swimming pools vendors’headquarters were in the UAE and most of them in Dubai. 96% of the vendors soldhome pools. Only 41% of vendors provided written materials to the swimming poolsowners regarding pools safety and injuries. 55% provided verbal information. Only39% of vendors sold fences. Only 35% sold gates. 13% sold tensile hinges andchildproof self-latching devices. The most common type of fencing sold is the verticalbars (78%). Most of the vendors did not sell gates (61%). Most of those who did notsell gates recommend the self closing and self latching 60% gates, whereas 40%recommended manual closing and locking gates. The age group in the vendors’ andowners opinion, at highest risk of falling into and drowning in home pools is 1-4 years83% and 82% respectively. Most of the vendors and owners thought that the activesafety measures (e.g. education of parents, constant supervision and swimmingtraining for 1-4 years old) is more effective than passive measures (e.g. completeenclosure by fences and gates, pool covers and pool alarms). Regarding the spinalcord injuries which result from diving in swimming pools 29% of our vendors and 36%of our owners mentioned that the risk of spinal cord injuries is high. The majority ofthe vendors recommended that the minimum safe depth of home pools for divingranging between 2.5 to 3.5 meters while most of the owners think that it should be 4meters.Conclusion: 41% of pool vendors claimed that they provided written information to theowners. However, only 18% of owners had received written information. Lowpercentages of vendors sell fences and gates, (39% and 35%) respectively. Regardingrecommendations on the best type of fences that should be use, 43% had no idea.Most of the vendors recommended the self-closing self-latching gates. However, smallpercentages of them sell these equipments, which show their carelessness. 62% of thevendors thought that the risk of spinal injury from diving was moderate to high. 62%of the owners thought that it was low.