Top Ten Tips - Keeping Your Swimming Pool Safe
By Tip Diva | Jun 05, 2008
Categories: Activities, Adult, Babysitting, Children, Difficulty, Family, Friends, Home, Household, Outdoors, Products, Safety, Tips, Websites
Summer hasn’t officially started yet, but there are already plenty of news reports about children drowning in swimming pools. In many cases, it was because no one was watching them or the pool lacked appropriate safety features. Here’s how to make sure your pool is safe:
- Install Fences - Install at least a four-foot fence around the perimeter of your pool with a self-closing latch that is not accessible to children. Also consider installing a fence around the perimeter of your yard so you do not have any wandering neighborhood kids coming for a swim when you’re not home.
- Buy A Pool Alarm - If you can afford one, buy a pool alarm, which sounds off when someone goes in the water. Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping recommends Poolguard.
- Have The Appropriate Safety Devices - Have a life preserver or a shepherd’s hook nearby. Personal floatation devices, like inner tubes or swim wings, are not as effective in an emergency.
- Maintain Your Pool Drain - Make sure your pool drain is properly maintained, and that you have an anti-vortex cover or two drains to decrease the vacuum power. WZVN has a story about the danger of pool drains.
- Cover Your Pool When Not In Use - Buy a safety cover for your pool, and keep it covered when not in use.
- Drain Or Winterize Your Pool At The End Of Summer - Some people forget to drain or winterize their pools at the end of the summer; the stagnant water still poses a drowning risk, even if it’s not swimming season.
- Make Sure Everyone In Pool Knows How To Swim Or Wears Floatation Devices - Make sure everyone in your pool knows how to swim; if they don’t, make sure an adult who can swim is in the pool with them and that they wear appropriate floatation devices, like a vest and inflatable swimming wings. And make sure everyone in your house knows how to swim.
- Make Sure Everyone Knows Safety Rules - Make sure everyone knows the rules of the pool, such as when it’s safe to dive, where it’s okay to jump, no horse-playing around, no running around the sides of the pool and only swim when an adult is present.
- Never Let Children Swim Unattended - Always make sure there’s someone to supervise children in the pool - one who won’t take their eyes off the children for a second. This supervisor should know how to swim and be willing to enforce the pool rules.
- Learn CPR - Besides knowing how to swim, knowing CPR in case of an accident is vital. Here is a good website on CPR, or call your local hospital, library or YMCA to see if they’re offering classes.
Other Tips To Check Out:
Great list!! My hubby bought a pool for the backyard and I am very reluctant to set it up. I think we’re going to wait until next summer when our youngest turns five. Both kids are in swimming lessons, but pools still make me nervous…
Jeanne’s Last Blog Post: 1
Jeanne - and rightfully so. Personally, I think four is a young age for the pool myself (I wasn’t allowed in the “big kids” pool until I was seven) but my mother made sure I had swimming lessons and that an adult was always watching.
Pool alarms are really good idea these days. Few days ago I found really good site about them. You can check it: : http://www.alarmesdepiscines.com
Good luck all.
tata668@gmail.com’s Last Blog Post: 1