NEVER let your children swim in the pool without adult supervision. Even if you think you are just stepping away for a second, this is the time when an accident can happen. If you absolutely have to step away from the pool for any reason make your child get out of the pool and come with you. If your child does not know how to swim they should wear a life jacket or water wings to prevent accidental drowning. It is important to always have a cellular or cordless phone somewhere on the pool deck incase you need to call 911 if an emergency happens. Keep the phone on the pool deck; you should never bring the phone into the pool since this can cause electrical shock. Keep all other items with electrical cords away from the pool as well to avoid electrocution. You should always keep a first aid kit near the pool so that an injury can be quickly treated if an accident happens. It is recommended that any adults or older teenagers learn CPR so they will be prepared if someone were to stop breathing.
NEVER swim alone even if you are a capable adult. You should never swim during a thunder and lightning storm because it is extremely dangerous. Water is one of the top conductors of electricity and if you are swimming you risk getting electrocuted. Never swim after drinking alcohol or taking narcotic medication. These substances can impair your judgment and your motor skills and could put you in a dangerous situation. If your pool is not over 8 feet deep you should never allow anyone to dive into the pool. If the pool is less than 8 feet deep you risk hitting your head and injuring yourself if you dive into it. Make sure you post signs about this so all the people using your pools are aware. If your pool is over 8 feet deep you need to make sure you install a diving board that has the right amount of spring for the depth of your pool. Be sure that your pool filtration equipment has a safety switch in an easy to reach place incase it needs to be quickly turned off in an emergency. In swimming pools that are older the drain is usually on the bottom of the pool and could possibly suck a swimmer under the water, which could cause them to drown.
Before anyone steps foot in the pool you should be sure that you have all the safety and floatation devices that you might need. You should always have a shepherd’s hook and a life preserver that you can throw to someone if they are drowning. Keep them close to the pool, you should never have to run inside your house to get them since it takes a very short period of time for someone to drown. Always check the edges of the pool for things like toys and hoses and put them in a safe place so that no one trips over them. You can install a pool alarm that floats in your pool when no one is using it to alert you if someone (maybe a child) accidentally falls into the pool when there is no one watching. There should always be enough lighting in and around the pool to prevent accidents. All the lights should have motion sensors so that no one has to fumble around in the dark to find them. Lastly, you should invest the extra money to have a fence installed around your pool for safety purposes. The fence should be at least 6 feet tall, it should have a locked gate and should surround the entire pool. This will give your family the privacy you need and will prevent your children to getting into the pool area when it is not being supervised.
If you follow all these simple preventative steps you can be sure that you have made your pool a safe place. Again, it is important that everyone who will be using the pool is aware of all the rules and what to do or who to call if an emergency were to happen.
