If you have a swimming pool in your back yard or are thinking about having one installed, it is important to protect your family and guests by implementing the swimming pool safety tips below.
Teach Your Children About Swimming Pool Safety
Teach children about swimming pool safety. Explain the risks of swimming without an adult present. Teach them how to call 911 in the event that someone needs assistance. Make sure your children know how to swim so if they accidentally fall in the water they’ll be able to stay afloat until someone can help them. Enroll the kids in swimming lessons at a young age. Allow them plenty of supervised time to practice their skills and become proficient swimmers.
Keep an Eye on Children While They Swim
Even if your children are great swimmers, never let them swim without adult supervision. There is a chance they could become injured or experience a cramp that would cause them to have trouble swimming to safety. Make sure your children understand the dangers associated with swimming alone and enforce a rule that they cannot use the pool on their own.
Don’t Use the Pool if You are Alone
Just as you don’t want your children to swim unsupervised, adults should always have someone present when swimming, too. Even with the most proficient swimmers, if something goes wrong, you could be in trouble if you are in the pool alone. Always have someone else nearby when you decide to go for a swim.
Get Certified in CPR and First Aid
In the unfortunate event that someone is injured or becomes unconscious when using the pool, you want to be prepared. Take a class on CPR and first aid. Starting CPR immediately increases a person’s chances of survival.
Find a class through the local Red Cross so you are prepared to respond to a swimming pool emergency. After you learn the steps for performing CPR, post them in your pool area as a helpful reference.
For Swimming Pool Safety, Install a Fence
Installing a fence around your pool is a great way to promote swimming pool safety. The fence prevents your child or other people from the neighborhood from entering your pool without your knowledge or permission. Install a fence that separates your pool from the rest of your backyard so your kids can still use the non-pool area. Include a lock on the pool gate to keep the area secure.
Invest in Alarms for the Swimming Pool
If you want to take further precautions towards securing your pool area, install an alarm on the pool gate that will sound whenever the gate is opened. If your pool is accessible directly from your home, install an alarm on the door leading out. These measures help keep children from entering the pool area on their own.
Pools provide relief from the summer weather and a fun way to cool off on a hot day. However, they can lead to injuries and even death. If you have a pool in your yard, practice these swimming pool safety tips to keep your family and guests safe around your pool.
Temple Home Inspection offers home inspection services and pool inspections in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the surrounding area. Contact us to request an appointment.