10 Pool Safety Tips for Summer
Water safety is absolutely essential, especially in the summer months when daily activities seem to gravitate around a body of water. Here are 10 pool safety tips so you can help your children have fun around water this summer.
1. Install a Fence
If you haven’t done so already, install a fence around your pool with a locking gate. This is the best precaution you can take to prevent children and pets from getting into the pool area unattended and potentially drowning.
2. Teach Kids Early
Teach your children water safety from a very early age and teach them to swim. While these skills won’t completely take away your child’s risk of drowning, they will greatly decrease it.
3. Post Directions for CPR
It’s a good idea to keep a sign posted near your pool with directions on how to perform CPR in the event someone must perform this lifesaving skill. Ask guests to review the sign each time they come to your pool, and encourage your children to do so when visiting the local pool.
4. Keep Watch
When swimming, it is essential to always maintain visual contact of your child. While taking a nap or reading a good book may sound more appealing, if you’re not in the water with them, you need to keep an eye on them at all times.
5. Designate a Watcher
Whether it’s just you and your spouse watching your kids, or you have a group of friends over, it is important to make sure someone is appointed as a watcher. This person will essentially act as a lifeguard and maintain a visual on all of the kids to reduce the risk of drownings.
6. Always Walk
Teach your children to always walk when poolside and encourage anyone who visits your pool to do the same. Running on the slippery pool deck makes slipping inevitable, and a fall near the pool can result in not only injury, but also the potential for drowning.
7. Keep them Afloat
Young children who cannot swim should always be outfitted with a flotation device, and in this instance, the use of a lifejacket is best. Again, the use of a safety device like a lifejacket doesn’t mean you can leave your child unattended in the pool—it just decreased their risk of drowning.
8. Identify Drains
Always identify and point out the pool suction drains to children, especially when visiting a public pool, and encourage them to stay clear. These drains tend to have a strong suction, and getting too close can result in hair or a piece of clothing becoming stuck, trapping a child on the bottom of the pool.
9. Store Chemicals Safely
Strong and dangerous chemicals are used to keep pools clean—be sure you keep these stored safely out of the reach of children to decrease the chance of a dangerous exposure.
10. Always Use Sunscreen
While not necessarily a water safety tip, the use of sunscreen is important to help prevent sunburn and possibly skin cancer. When swimming, make sure you’re regularly reapplying sunscreen to maintain protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
We Can Help
For more information about insurance options for your home and further pool safety precautions, contact us today.