Is there any better way to escape the Summer heat than to jump in the pool? We can’t think of any!
While your swimming pool can be a lot of fun, not to mention a cool respite, for the whole family, they can be dangerous as well. Here are some tips for ensuring your swimming pool is safe for everyone!
Supervise children when they’re in the pool
It only takes a moment for something to happen, which is why adult supervision is so important whenever kids are in your pool area. Adults supervising children should be able to swim and be free of distractions such as household chores, socializing, or talking on the phone.
Younger children and those that aren’t yet strong swimmers should have floaties on as an added bit of safety. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be in the water and within arm’s reach.
Secure the pool when not in use
Did you know that 69% of children that drown were not expected to be in or near water? Even though you may not be planning to use your swimming pool, and perhaps may not have even opened it yet, swimming pools can be very dangerous to your children as well as neighbors. In fact, Insurance Companies refer to swimming pools as an Attractive Nuisance, which is essentially a property feature that is, or can be, enticing to children and which may lead to injury or death.
For this reason, it is extremely important to secure your pool when not in use. Swimming pools should be completely surrounded by a fence that is at least 4 feet high and not easy to climb (for this reason, chain link fences are not recommended). All entries should be secured by a gate that is self-closing and self-latching and which cannot be opened by a child that may be curious about your pool. As an added safety measure, we recommend a gate that can be locked when the pool is not in use as well.
In the case of above-ground pools, it’s important to either lock or remove ladders whenever not in use to prevent access by children.
You may also want to consider pool sensors / alarms, which can provide an additional warning. There are a number of different types of pool alarms available, from alarms that sound when your pool gate is opened to ones that sound when someone falls in the pool. These are NOT intended as replacements for adult supervision or proper pool fencing however, and are considered an additional safety measure only.
Clearly define Pool Rules
While pools are a lot of fun, it’s a great idea to set some ground rules to prevent unnecessary injuries or accidents. Here are a few rules we recommend:
• No playing in the pool area without adult supervision
• No playing around the pool when the pool is not in use
• No diving in a pool that is not deep enough
• No running around the pool
• No riding toys, such as tricycles, should be in the pool area
• No electrical appliances near the pool
Make sure your kids know how to swim
It is extremely important that kids learn how to swim. Recognizing that children all learn at their own speed, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swimming lessons for children 4 years and older or for children between the ages of 1 and 4 that are ready to learn how to swim. While many parents teach their kids how to swim themselves, you may find that formal swimming lessons are more effective.
Practice safe diving
Diving is extremely popular among pre-teens and teenagers in particular, but done improperly can be very dangerous. Always enforce safe diving rules whenever anyone is diving into your pool. Much like swimming lessons, diving lessons are available for older kids and may be something you may want to look into.
Most diving injuries occur when someone dives into water that is too shallow. Under no circumstances should anyone dive into the shallow end of a pool or into an above-ground pool (which are generally not deep enough for diving). For similar reasons, you should never dive through inner tubes and other pool toys, as you can’t always see what is under these objects.
We hope that you and your kids have a fun and safe pool season!
As always, should you ever have a need for any of our services, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Disaster Blaster!
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