The safety of your children should be a priority. If you own a swimming pool, it can be a very dangerous place for younger children to be around. Here are some security tips in regards to pool safety.
Never leave children alone. Accidents can happen quickly. Having an adult there to supervise children at all times is the biggest prevention against drowning.
Know CPR. CPR is the best skill you can have if a child does have an accident in the swimming pool. Learning CPR is a useful skill, especially with drownings.
Most young children that drown do so because they wander around the yard and accidentally fall in. This is why a pool fence is so important. Pool fences separate your pool from the rest of your yard so younger children won’t come to harm accidentally.
The pool fence needs to be tall enough that younger children can’t climb over it or sneak through. A good height for a pool fence is 4 feet high, and should be placed along all the sides of the pool. The latch on the entrance gate should be placed high enough that younger children can’t reach it.
Use approved life vests for children who need them. Don’t try to use air-filled puff sleeves or cuffs instead of an actual life vest. Pool toys and swimming sleeves aren’t good safety substitutes for safety vests.
Running on wet cement should be avoided. Children often slip and hurt themselves. Supervise your children and be sure that they walk carefully to lessen the chance of them slipping and hurting themselves.
When the pool is not in use, continue to take safety measures. Be sure that the gate is closed properly and the latch is set or locked. You also can purchase a pool cover, though they should never be used in place of a pool gate.
