Water Park Safety

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Water parks have sprung up throughout Ontario. The parks feature a variety of waterslides ranging from those designed with the youngest children in mind and massive slides to test the courage of even the bravest sole on a hot summer day. They also offer other forms of water-related activities for all members of the family. As with most activities, there are risks associated with water parks that could cause accidents and injuries, but those risks are not because of the equipment being unsafe. Of the injuries suffered by visitors to amusement parks, including water parks, only 4 percent were caused by equipment malfunctions. The vast majority of injuries, about 95 percent of them, are caused by the behaviour visitors, including falls. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your chance of suffering an injury at a water park.

Know the rules before you begin

Water parks post signs at entry points explaining the general rules governing behaviour in the park to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors. These signs might also warn about specific dangers or risks associated with certain water slides or other activities.

You should read the warnings and explain them to children accompanying you to the park to make certain they understand how to behave and conduct themselves to be safe. This is also a good time to point out the location of a first aid station to your children, so they will know where to go if they are hurt and need medical attention if they become separated from you. First aid stations are also a good location for families to designate as meeting points in the event anyone becomes separated from your group.

Don’t run

An essential element of every water park is water, so you can expect sidewalks and other surfaces you walk on to be wet. Avoid running and use caution when entering or exiting pools or slide landing areas because the footing can get slippery.

Obey the rules about diving

The pools and landing areas at the end of the slides usually are not deep enough for diving, so check the depth of the water before attempting to dive into a pool. Obey signage warning you not to dive, and if you are unsure whether diving is permitted, ask a life guard or attendant.

Know your limitations and those of your children

Shooting out of a high-speed water slide into a pool of water can be disorienting as you tumble about underwater. Do not go on a slide unless your swimming is good enough to allow you to recover and swim out of danger. Lingering at the end of the water slide puts you at risk of being hit by the next person coming down, so you want to be able to reorient yourself and swim away as quickly as possible.

If you are taking a child on a water slide with you, do not rely upon your ability to help the child when you hit the water at the end of the slide. Your child could become separated from you, so unless your child is a good swimmer, make sure he or she is wearing a life jacket or approved personal floatation device.

Ontario personal injury lawyers

If you or a member of your family is injured in a water park accident, the personal injury lawyers at Diamond and Diamond have years of experience successfully handling claims for compensation on behalf of individuals injured due to the negligence of others. If you are injured in an accident, you should speak to one of our lawyers. Call the Diamond and Diamond 24/7 injury hotline at 1-800-567-HURT or visit our website to speak to someone now. We offer free consultations and case evaluations to injury victims throughout Ontario.