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Swimming pools are often the centerpiece of family fun and recreation, but without certain precautions, the fun can quickly become tragedy.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that more than 280 children age 5 and under drown each year in swimming pools. The CPSC also estimates 2,100 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for pool submersion injuries in 2005.

"Contrary to what you might think, children drown silently," said John Drengenberg, Consumer Affairs Manager for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization. "There's not a lot of splashing or crying for help, and every second counts when preventing a drowning accident."

Drownings happen quickly. Nearly 77 percent of child drowning victims are missing for less than five minutes when they are found, and about 70 percent were not even seen in the pool area. To prevent unsupervised access to the pool by young children, UL recommends installing a fence around the pool, with a self-latching gate and a locking mechanism beyond a child's reach.

"Barriers are effective, but they are not a substitute for adult supervision," Drengenberg pointed out. "Everyone needs to be aware and attentive whenever children are around the pool."

UL recommends following the 10/20 rule, which states that the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool within 10 seconds and reach the water within 20 seconds.