Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Guide

 

 

Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Tips

With warmer weather comes an array of outdoor activities for the whole family, including cooling off in a pool. Water with its rippling and shimmering appeal is a magnet for children. Children under the age of five have no fear of water and no concept of death. They associate water with play, not with danger. Adults must establish and communicate responsibility for child safety.

Remember that just having a pool on your property is a potential drowning hazard, even when there are no swimming activities. Here are some of the biggest steps you can take to keep yourself and your family safe around the pool even when you’re not swimming:

•          Block access to pools, spas and other water features in the yard using approved pool barriers. Where a wall of a dwelling serves as part of the required pool barrier, all doors that have direct access to the pool must be equipped with an approved alarm.
•          Remove all toys from the pool and deck area after every use so that children are not attracted to them and tempted to gain access to the pool.
•          Keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. A pole, rope, and personal flotation device are recommended.
•          Learn CPR and make sure that all residents and caretakers in your home know what to do in case of a pool emergency.
•          If a small child is missing in the house, check the pool first, before all other possibilities. Every second counts when it comes to drowning.
•          It is imperative that adults maintain a healthy respect for the power of swimming pools to lure children into both fun and danger. Establish barriers and rules and stick to them. Your kids will grow up to pass the same pool-safety habits to their own children one day.