Swimming Pool Safety Tips

Swimming pools have always been the perfect way to cool off in the summer heat, but pools can also be dangerous, especially for children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 4. Fortunately, most swimming pool tragedies can be prevented by taking necessary precautions around the pool, whether at a community pool or in your backyard. Appropriately, May is National Water Safety Month, so let’s talk about some critical swimming pool safety tips before the kids, and you hit the pools this summer.

For Home Swimming Pools: Install a Fence and Secure the Pool

Pool fences save lives–especially young lives. Installing a fence around your pool of at least 4 feet high is a smart move that can help prevent accidents and unsupervised swimming. Access to the pool should be securely locked with self-latching, self-closing gates. Regularly check the fence for any damage or weakness that may compromise the safety of the fence or the pool.

Keep the Pool Clean and Well-Maintained

A properly maintained pool is not only clean and welcoming but also safer. If you have to use chemicals to clean the pool, store them safely where kids can’t reach them. Ensure the pool’s chemical balance is within safe parameters. Ensure that pool equipment like diving boards, ladders, and slides are secure and in good condition. Have someone check once in a while for broken and sharp edges around the pool, and if you find them, fix them to avoid trips, falls, and injuries.

Watch Your Kids at All Times

For children, drownings and injuries can happen in the blink of an eye. One of the most common stories told when a parent loses a child in a pool drowning is, “I just turned away for a minute.” Always watch your children closely when they are in or around the pool. If they’re unskilled swimmers, make sure they wear safety devices like pool floats and life vests. Better yet, sign your kids up for swimming lessons so they can learn how to swim and become water-safe. It’s one of the best things you can do to protect your kids from drowning. But even for your kids who can swim, make sure a responsible adult supervises them. Never send your kids to swim in a community pool without a lifeguard. And this rule applies to kids and adults: never, ever swim alone.

Set Some Swimming Pool Safety Rules

Finally, establish some safety rules around the pool and make sure that everybody follows them. Make sure that your family members know never to run, dive or push inside the pool area. All activities around the pool should be done with caution. No electrical device should be used near the pool. All meals should be eaten at a safe distance from the pool.

Even with safeguards like these, swimming is never a no-risk activity. Accidents can happen. You may be eligible for compensation if you or someone you love is injured in a swimming pool where someone else was negligent. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can help. Call us to schedule an appointment.