Now that you have winterized your swimming pool for the year, it’s a good time to begin your plans for re-opening in the spring with some additional safety tactics in place. It’s an important move.
According to the CDC, between 2018 and 2020 the average number of drownings or near-drownings was 4,800 for children under five and 1,400 for kids 6 – 14. Of particular interest is the fact that 75% of drowning deaths of children younger than 15 occurred at a swimming pool located at a private residence.
And we can’t forget our pets, either: Around 5,000 family pets drown every year in backyard pools. Don’t let it be yours!
Here are the 7 of the most effective pool safety tips to make your backyard oasis a safe place for everyone.
7 Ways to Make Your Pool Safer:
#1 – Install a Fence Around the Pool
This is one of the most important pool safety tips for preventing accidental drownings or other related injuries in your pool. There is currently no federal pool-fence law, so check your local and state laws about required fence features.
Make sure this barrier has a gate that opens away from the pool area and is self-closing and self-latching. If the latch isn’t also a lock, put a lock on the gate. Make sure your kids don’t know where that key is kept. Many pool experts recommend a fence height of at least five to six feet. Also, secure objects that kids can move to the fence and stand on to climb over.
An even safer alternative is to completely close in the pool area with a pool enclosure.
#2 – Install an Alarm System
This is a second layer of protection if the fence should fail for some reason. Kids are persistent, so an alarm can sound when the gate opens. Then, you can have an underwater motion detector that alerts you when there is motion in the water. It may seem unnecessary if you’ve put your fence in, but your children and pets are too important to put at risk.
#3 – Remove the Diving Board, Permanently!
When you weigh the fun of a diving board against the dangers, the diving board needs to go. Even when used properly, accidents happen when the diver slips and falls. Landing in the water is one thing, but falling onto the hard surface of the board or the concrete poolside can result in serious injuries. Or worse.
The boards have become so dangerous that most public pools built today don’t have one and your homeowner’s insurance may go up if you do have one.
#4 – Invest in Basic Rescue Equipment and a First Aid Kit
The basic equipment means a life ring, life hook, and rescue tube. If someone is struggling in the pool, you can throw them the life ring or tube so they can stay afloat. You can use the hook to pull them to safety. The First Aid Kit has supplies you will need for minor cuts, scrapes, etc.
Make sure all this equipment is kept nearby when the pool is being used. Locked away in a garage or cabinet is too far away. Check everything periodically to make sure it’s all in good condition in the event it needs to be used.
#5 – Store Pool Chemicals Safely Away
You want to keep your pool chemicals safely put away. Not too far away to be inconvenient as you properly keep the pool clean, but far enough away and inaccessible to curious kids. Simply handling some of the chemicals improperly can lead to injury. So, make sure to lock them away from the main “play” area of the pool.
#6 – Inspect the Pool Area Each Day Before Letting People In
Make sure pool toys are not directly in walking areas. Ensure the furniture is not too close to the pool itself where bathers can trip and fall on it. In other words, have a safe place for everything and encourage everyone to return things to these places, too.
#7 – Inspect the Drain Covers
The underwater drain and its suction pressure can drag children to it and hold them there. Public pools are required to meet safety standards to prevent this now, but it is critical that you check this in your home pool, too. If necessary, find a cover that keeps the drain from becoming a child’s death trap.
Also Consider These Safety Measures
Once you have secured your pool using the pool safety tips above, you can consider the following ideas, too.
– Take a CPR Course: Envision a child being pulled from your pool. Someone calls 911, but in the meantime, it would be heartbreaking to stand by and wait. Taking a CPR course will give you the skills needed to perhaps save that life.
– Set Pool Rules: Go over them with everyone who comes into your yard to use the pool. Do it again periodically or with new guests to your pool. Things like no running, no diving into shallow water (or at all), no pushing people into the pool or holding someone under, and no one in the pool unless there is an adult present.
– Teach Your Children to Swim and Encourage It for Everyone. Many local organizations make this a priority, so take advantage of what is offered.
Our Commitment to Pool Maintenance AND Pool Safety
Pool School Videos is committed to providing in-depth information on not only pool maintenance but pool safety, too. A properly maintained pool guided by experts like Mike Steele makes your pool a safer environment for the fun you want to offer your family and friends.
For example, Pool School Videos has a particular video covering one of the most common but often overlooked pool safety risks. Our program consists of 20 self-paced online pool maintenance videos in total. These videos provide specific, easy-to-follow info on how to properly take care of your pool!
Mike Steele is a 30-year veteran of the pool maintenance industry. Pool School Videos gives you the tools to solve any current pool maintenance problems that you might have while also preventing future problems. With Pool School Videos, you will save both time and money, providing you more opportunity to actually enjoy your pool versus spending hours maintaining it. The videos become yours once you buy them, so you can watch them as many times as necessary.
Plus, when you purchase the videos, you also get access to our private Facebook Group where you can request customized guidance, too. Simply post specific questions in the group and our experts will respond within 24 hours!
Click here to preview our top 5 videos and meet the Pool Doctor, Mike Steele. And then get started on Pool School Videos today!
