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With pools set to open across the country, a new report offers a warning about the potential for injury from the chemicals used to keep pools clean.
The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links 5,000 visits to the emergency room in 2012 to pool chemicals. Nearly half of the patients were children and teens and more than a third occurred at a home.
Michele Hlavsa of the CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program says she suspects the reported numbers don’t reflect actual rates of injury due to pool chemicals.
“The data are telling us that 5000 people go to the ER each year,” she told NBC News. “But there are people who don’t go to the ER. They might just go to their doctor. Or they might not even seek health care at all. All these people we aren’t picking up. We are seeing the more serious injuries. I think it’s very common for people to not use these chemicals safely.”
According to NBC News, the most common reason for trips to emergency is poisoning, which usually occurs when someone inhales chemicals such as chlorine. Another commonly reported injury is chemical burns, which occur when caustic substances are handled without protective equipment, such as goggles or gloves.
Agencies/Canadajournal
