The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and retail giant Walmart announced in a joint statement Feb. 3rd they are partnering in an effort to stem the tide of fatal and non-fatal child drowning and suction entrapment accidents. The two organizations will work together to promote the CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign. Walmart now becomes the largest corporation among the campaign’s nearly 900 partners.
Declaring child drowning in pools and spas a 100-percent preventable “public health crisis,” said CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said, "We're pleased Walmart has agreed to work with us on these vital drowning prevention efforts across the nation. Our campaign recommends simple water safety steps, such as teaching children how to swim, having four-sided fencing, learning CPR, and maintaining constant supervision of children around water.”
The campaign will provide water safety materials including Water Watch cards, “The Adventures of Splish and Spash” smart-phone app, and other family friendly items that Walmart will share with its customers, employees and suppliers. The retailer will also encourage customers to sign the Pool Safely Pledge.
The campaign was established in 2010 and has since developed and worked with a network of partners that include local safety group as well as national organization including the YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross and USA National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
With 260 million customers visiting Walmart stores each week and with its workforce of more than 2 million the company provides a huge boost to the campaign’s reach. “A partnership of this magnitude, with a company with which so many Americans interact daily, will help put life-saving information in the hands of millions of families," Kaye said.
Pool Safely supports the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. To learn more go to PoolSafely.gov.
