How to Keep Children Safe Around Swimming Pools

Most children love swimming pools, especially during the summer. However, safety around the pool area should always be a primary concern, particularly if you have young children.

Here are some tips on how to keep your children safe around the swimming pool area:

1.Place a fence around the swimming pool.

Small children and even pets cannot resist a swimming pool. To ensure the safety of your children, place a fence around your pool. You may also want to consider placing a lock on the fence when the pool is not being used. If the fence is self-closing and has a latch, make sure that the latch is installed at a height that is difficult for children to reach.

2.Remove all toys from the swimming pool.

Make sure that when no one is swimming, all toys are removed from the pool. A young child might see a toy floating around in the swimming pool and try to retrieve it on his or her own. This is a potentially dangerous situation and a child can drown if left unattended.

3.Keep the poolside clean.

Keep the area surrounding the swimming pool free from any clutter. Children can easily trip over a hose or a wheeled toy and accidentally fall into the pool.

4.Purchase a safety pool cover.

Ask your pool supplier for recommendations on the safest type of cover for the pool. A cover can be draped over the entire area to ensure that no one can access the pool.

5.Give safety instructions on a daily basis.

Make it a rule in your house that everyone who goes swimming has to hear the pool safety instructions. If they cannot repeat the safety instructions back to you, then they cannot go swimming. If this is done on a regular or even daily basis, then the children are more likely to remember how to behave around the pool.

6.Learn CPR.

Teach CPR to everyone in the household. Also teach CPR to the grandparents, babysitters, aunts, uncles and anyone who spends a lot of time with your child.

7.Have a phone nearby.

If someone is going swimming, always make sure to take a mobile or cordless phone with you outside. It is especially important that one can quickly call for help in case of an emergency.

8.Give children a time limit.

Give each child a time limit for swimming. For example, each kid can only swim for an hour and a half. Children do not pay attention to how long they锟絭e been swimming and may not realise that they are already exhausted.

9.Purchase a pool alarm.

A pool alarm is a safety device that floats around the swimming pool when it is not being used. If the water is disturbed, perhaps caused by someone falling in accidentally, the alarm will go off.

10.Invest in lifesaving equipment.

If you have a swimming pool in your home, be sure to invest in some lifesaving equipment. You never know when a rope, pole or flotation device will come in handy.