Learn These Backyard Safety Tips for Kids and Your Pool
Summer is a great time to be outside with family. But if you have an outdoor pool, whether it’s above ground or below, it can present a safety risk. There’s no need to stress or get rid of it, because pools are fun! Just follow these few, easy safety tips from Advanced Lock & Security for kids and pools and you’ll be all set to have a great, safe summer!
Your first line of defense when it comes to protecting your kids and preventing accidents is to make sure everyone in your house knows how to swim. Enrolling all the members of your family in swimming classes is one of the best ways to keep everyone safe. But even if children know how to swim well, always designate someone to watch them while they’re in the pool. Actively supervise them, just don’t glance back once or twice as you do other things. Now is not the time to multitask. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water, so, even if you need to take shifts, make sure there is always a capable adult nearby that is solely focused on the swimmers in and around the pool. Make sure young children and toddlers are always within arm’s reach, even in kiddie pools, and consider having them wear Coast Guard approved life jackets at all times until they become competent swimmers. Remember, floaty toys and pool noodles are no substitute for regulated safety equipment.
After you’ve moved to a home with a pool, installed an in-ground or above ground pool, or even a hot tub, your next step should be to make sure it is surrounded by barriers at least four feet high. These barriers should also have self-closing, self-latching gates. When the pool is not in use, be sure to remove ladders and steps required for entry, and keep it covered. Be sure that, when the pool is in use, the cover is completely removed. If it is left partially on, swimmers can become trapped under it and it becomes a safety hazard instead of asset.
Finally, establish and enforce pool rules and make sure that everyone who is old enough knows basic emergency procedures. Explain and talk about your rules regularly so everyone in the house knows why they are in place. If the rules are understood, they are more likely to be followed. If possible, have every member of the household who is old enough go to CPR and first aid classes. It’s better for more people to know how to handle emergency situations to reduce panic should an accident occur. Be sure to always keep rescue equipment by the pool.
Teaching young children how to swim, actively supervising swimmers in the pool, placing barriers with self-closing gates, covering your pool when not in use, and knowing basic emergency procedures are all very easy ways to keep your family and guests safe in your pool. You want to safe a relaxing summer, and it’s easy! But if you’re going to have a pool then you need to take responsibility for it, and acting on these few simple tips can make your backyard pool that much safer. Advanced Lock & Security is always here for you if you need help securing your pool, or if you simply have more questions about how to make it safer. Have a great summer!
