Before you know it, it will be time to begin getting your pool ready for this summer season. As you already know, owning a pool is a huge responsibility. There are many different safety precautions a pool owner needs to make every season. Keep reading to check out what safety measures Best Defense Pool Enclosures recommends for you and your family:
1. Install Locks and Alarms Around Your Pool
Installing the right locks and alarms around your pool is essential to providing your family with the necessary security to stop young children from wandering into the pool unsupervised, and if they do, an alarm that will alert you. You need several layers of protection, not just one.
2. Instruct Young Children on Proper Pool Behavior
Education is essential to providing your family with the safety it needs. Teach your young children on how to conduct themselves in the pool – such as no horseplay like chicken or other dangerous games.
3. Install a Pool Safety Fence with a Self-closing, Self-locking Gate
You cannot supervise your pool at all times. Installing a Life Saver mesh pool fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate will provide that necessary defense around your pool. The fence will help stop young children and pets from wandering into an unsupervised pool.
4. When the Pool is in Use, Always Have Adult Supervision
No one – not even an adult – should be swimming in an unsupervised pool. Accidents happen all of the time. You do not want a fatal accident to happen just because of some carelessness or laziness. Especially if young children are in the pool, you need an adult to supervise.
5. If a Child is Missing, Check the Pool
Young children run around and play all the time, and sometimes a child can go missing for a little while. If you own a pool, the first place you need to check is your pool. If a child has fallen into the pool, every second is critical.
6. Be Sure to Properly Chlorinate and Clean Your Pool
Ear infections are quite common in unclean water. Especially a pool, where fresh water is not constantly added, it is essential that you regularly clean and shock your pool with chlorine. After all, you do not want your children or guests to be swimming in dirty water!
7. A Pool Owner Should Be CPR-Trained
A pool owner wants to have his or her bases covered – and yes, that means being CPR-trained. If an accident happens and CPR is required, you do not want to be waiting around for an ambulance or someone who knows CPR. This is a life-or-death situation. You want to be ready for it.
8. Always Have Floatation Devices Handy
Swimmies, life preservers and pool noodles are all great floatation devices. Make sure that you always have a few floating around in your pool. You never know when someone may need to hold onto something for support. The combination of the heat and swimming can put some people out sometimes and having a pool noodle handy can be the difference between drowning and just feeling a little dehydrated.
9. Young Children and a Buddy System
Teaching young children to have a swim buddy is a great way to increase pool safety and teach accountability. For large play dates or parties, give each child a swimming buddy, someone they keep an eye out on and make sure that they are okay. There might be a lot of children in your pool, and it helps to teach everyone to look out for each other.
10. Keep Food and Beverages Away from the Pool
For both adults and children, try not to consume alcohol, drink or eat directly before or while in the pool. You want to keep the pool clean, but also eating or drinking right before swimming can lead to dehydration and other complications. Alcohol should not be consumed in the pool – the risk is just not worth it.
Best Defense Pool Enclosures can help you evaluate your pool for child safety. Call (215) 214-2199 or contact us online for a free pool safety evaluation.
