Pool Safety Tips Every Family Should Follow
There’s nothing more exciting than hitting the pool on a hot day. Teaching the youngest how to swim, watching your other children practice their cannon-balling skills and relaxing by the poolside with a good book.
Most families have happy pool-side memories to look back on as their kids grow. However, for others, their poolside memories are far from enjoyable. Every year thousands of people are rescued from domestic swimming pools and rushed to the emergency room, simply because they (or their parents) didn’t practice pool safety. Or in some cases, the pool wasn’t safe to be used by members of the public – click the link to speak to PI lawyers from Columbia if you or a family member has been injured in a swimming pool.
Here we’ll look at some pool safety tips that every family should follow.
Supervise!
Even if your children are proficient swimmers, you should always be vigilant and supervise them whilst they play in and around water. If you’re with other adults, avoid a lapse of concentration by taking it in turns to watch the children. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted whilst you’re supervising by the pool, that means don’t drink alcohol and avoid activities that prevent you from giving the children your full supervision, such as reading or scrolling through social media.
In case you have your own swimming pool in your property, make sure that it is properly maintained to prevent any danger. Check for stains because any form of discoloration in your pool might be an indication that it needs resurfacing. While it may not be part of the routine pool maintenance, resurfacing your pool is something you need to do as your pool gets older. Of course, this is a major repair that requires skilled workers specializing in such field of work. In Australia, for instance, there are swimming pool resurfacing sydney services that you can get to transform your old pool back to its former beauty and glory.
If you really want to take these swimming lessons more seriously, you might as well consider installing outdoor swimming pool in your property. If you have enough space, you can hire people to install the pool for you. Interestingly, you can get reliable fibreglass pools wellington installation services in New Zealand. Fiberglass pools are notably stronger and more durable, and more cost effective.
Teach!
Swimming is a skill that all children should have. Knowing how to keep themselves afloat and not panic when they get into difficulty could give them a fighting chance and even save their life, so consider swimming lessons as soon as possible. You should also ensure your children are aware of water safety basics, such as not running by the pool, always jumping in feet first, never playing breath-holding games and never swimming alone.
Interestingly, there are also some swimming lessons and programs like the swimsafer syllabus that you can take to improve your swimming skills. These programs will not just help you understand safety and skillful swimming but it can also help boost your confidence whenever you hit the water.
Warn!
Warn your children about the dangers of pool drains and filters. These devices can easily suck your children in either via their hair or swimming clothes and potentially hold them underwater. Make sure they’re aware of the dangers and advise them to swim safely away from these devices. In addition to that, pool fences should also be installed to add more security and to prevent children from accessing the pool unsupervised. Whether you build the pool for family or commercial purposes, you must strictly follow all the safety protocols as prescribed by the local government, so be sure to check out pool fence regulations melbourne or the regulations in your local area. It is important for owners to prioritize pool safety and comply with regulations to prevent any pool accidents.
In fact, the design of your pool can also help to make things safer for children. Building a fiberglass pool with tanning ledge, for instance, will not just make your pool more visually appealing but also adds another level of safety, especially if there are kids around. A tanning ledge is a shallow shelf in the pool that is usually at least 5 feet wide and 9 inches deep. It generally acts as the entry point to your pool. So, if there are kids around, it can serve to prevent them from accessing the deep part of the swimming area. If they are too young or not as skilled at swimming as they could be, you should warn them to be careful about leaving the tanning shelf if they don’t feel entirely comfortable in the water.
Teach yourself!
Do you know what drowning looks like? Your child is playing, right? Sadly, many parents don’t know what drowning looks like until it’s too late. Drowning doesn’t mean thrashing around and shouting for help, it’s often eerily silent. The victim has their head thrust back and can’t shout due to inhaling water as they panic to keep above the water. Hair covering their face and climbing movements are also signs that your child is in danger.
Be smart!
Pool toys and floats aren’t life-saving devices. They’re toys. So never think that having these items in the pool with your child will keep them safe. If your child has little water confidence or cannot swim, always let them swim with a genuine and appropriately fitted floatation device, such as a life jacket.
And finally: Save!
Knowing first aid could save a child’s life. So, get to grips with how to perform CPR and administer first aid. Keep your skills up to date and learn how to perform it on adults too!
