Safety first! 6 must-know pool safety tips for parents.
Photo by Devon Wilson on Unsplash
If you have a pool on your property then you will know that it is not all pool parties and relaxing. There’s a fair amount of work required to keep your pool clean and to keep it operating in a safe and secure way. Lives could be at risk, especially if you have children and pets in the area, so you simply must make sure you know the golden rules of pool safety.
In this guide, we’ve put together tips for parents to ensure that the pool is as safe as it can be, our six tips can give you a lot of peace of mind.
Drowning prevention tips for parents
Drowning is obviously one of the biggest risks of owning a pool. How can you help to mitigate this either by making your pool building plans more thorough or by having other equipment or facilities?
Emergency plan
In any sort of space where there is a potential hazard, it is a good idea to create a plan for any emergencies that occur. If someone does get into trouble in the pool, how are you going to tackle the issue?
This may include a first aid kit and even training to help with things like CPR if they are required. Where is the nearest phone to call emergency services if you need to? Where is the key to getting into the pool area if required? Hopefully, your pool will never have this issue but it is important to be prepared.
Pool safety equipment
One of the biggest pool design regrets is not putting the right safety equipment in place to allow you to keep everyone safe. As well as a secure design of the pool, and avoiding access for children without adult supervision, it is a good idea to have some safety equipment.
It can be simple equipment, too, even just having ropes and buoys can make all the difference and make it easier to get people out of trouble if they should find themselves in trouble. Some large pools may have alarm systems and you can look to install this if you are particularly worried. Reach poles and extraction boards, as well as signage to warn people of the pool and the dangers, can also help.
How to keep your pool safe
So that you never have to use your pool safety plan or call the emergency services, it is essential to have some sort of precautions in place to keep the pool area safe. When building your pool there are certain things that you can do to allow you to prevent accidents.
Fence with a self-locking mechanism
In many locations, when you are building a pool this is an essential consideration and even a legal responsibility. You must have a fence that is high enough to prevent children and animals from entering the pool, and it must be self-locking and not easy to get through, over, or unlock the door.
Layers of protection
Keeping a pool safe is about building different layers of protection for those who are using the pool. This means that you take a number of precautions and have fail-safes in place. One of the things that you should think about is the cleanliness of the pool as this can also be a hazard. Covers and fencing are other layers of protection, and first aid and pool safety equipment are another. The more you can put in place, the more peace of mind you can enjoy.
Pool covers
Pool covers are absolutely crucial. They are among the main methods of protection both for the pool and for the people who are using the pool. For example, when it comes to the winter and you know that you will not be using the pool or pool area then it makes sense to totally close off the area.
Pool covers are also protected from people falling in. Pool lights should also be installed to ensure that people can see in the area and this means that if others are outside, they can see the precautions as well as signage that tells people where the pool is. Hardcovers are best for preventing anyone from falling into the pool.
Don’t leave toys in the pool area
Kids are often drawn to toys, and if your children are out in the yard and see toys by the pool then they may even be drawn toward them. Instead of leaving toys in this area, ensure that they are cleared away and cleaned (ideally) after every use.
It can be tempting to leave things out in the pool area but you never know when a kid is going to see this and be tempted over. Be sure to keep the whole area clear.