Insurance company Allstate Canada, in collaboration with the Lifesaving Society and the Angus Reid forum, concludes that half of the parents who own a pool will work from home during the summer season. Some 500 Canadians were interviewed.
Among the 200 Quebec households surveyed, 43% said they intended to telecommute while monitoring children under the age of 18 around the pool. We find that it does not make a good combination, on the contrary
worries Raynald Hawkins, executive director of the Lifesaving Society.
Raynald Hawkins, General Manager Lifesaving Society
Photo : Radio-Canada / Érik Chouinard
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The latter also raised eyebrows when he noted, according to this survey, that one in 10 respondents intends to leave the children unattended. He recalls that, according to the 2019 Lifesaving Society report, 9 out of 10 child drownings in Quebec occurred under absent or absent surveillance
.
The time of an email
Hawkins believes that the time to write a simple email can be enough to create a drama. He invites parents to put away their cell phones or laptops when they are watching the pool.
Should I remind everyone that drowning in children is a silent phenomenon that occurs in as little as 20 to 60 seconds.
The Lifesaving Society strongly recommends that the two activities be separated. She suggests determining a fixed swimming schedule during which the parent is 100% dedicated to monitoring the body of water. Most drownings are preventable
reminds Mr. Hawkins, who implores families to have clear safety instructions.
Water bodies should be kept out of the reach of children when not in use, he insists. In large family gatherings, he invites adults to appoint one or more supervisors. Hawkins added that it is possible to hire a lifeguard to keep the site safe.
Safety tips
- Designate a responsible supervisor, like a designated driver in a car
- Take a break from work when monitoring the pool
- Restrict access to water when the pool is not in use
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Survey respondents were questioned between June 10 and June 15. They are parents who are members of the Angus Reid forum and partner networks.
Tough early summer
The survey comes during a week of Drowning Prevention Week, which begins July 19. It also comes at a time when the balance sheet is particularly worrying at the start of this summer.
The Lifesaving Society already counted 44 deaths on the water in Quebec this weekend, compared to 32 at the same date last year. In June alone, 22 drownings were fatal in 2020, compared to 11 in 2019.
The weather was nice and warm in June. Necessarily, there were more people on the water or in the water
, analyse Raynald Hawkins.
The other reality, he says, concerns the travel restrictions and the fact that more Quebecers will remain in the province. The law of mathematics
therefore wants the probability of drowning to be greater.
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