This text isn’t meant to scare you for no reason, but instead to provide some tips on how to avoid an existing hazard.
Did you know that drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 4? Each year, 390 children die in either a swimming pool or a spa. This accounts for 76% of the drowning deaths in the United States.
This beckons the question, are you doing enough to keep your child safe around the pool? Are you aware of all the dangers that are present?
Pool Covers
If you have children, you need to be particularly wary of pool covers. The problem is that children love the water. It is appealing to them for some reason. Having a pool cover on top of it really is not going to stop them from trying to get into that water. As the BBC noted, many children will walk over pool covers. They can then fall underneath them. This causes major issues, even if you spot your child falling. This is because it can take a while to remove the pool cover and reach your child.
If you do use a pool cover, do make sure that it fits snugly. There should be no gaps around the side of it. In addition to this, it is important that you do inform your child of the dangers of that pool cover. Tell them they should not walk over it under any circumstance.
What a safety pool cover looks like and other useful information in the following video:
We have actually reviewed many different pool covers (not all of them safety covers!) in Understanding Swimming Pool Covers + Reviews.
Fencing Around the Pool
If you do not have fencing around your pool, and it should be at least four feet high, then you could be doing more to protect your children from the risk of drowning. Children will be unlikely to climb over the fencing. This ensures that they will never be near the pool ‘unaccompanied’.
Of course, you will want to ensure that you close and lock the pool gate when you are not near the pool. This will ensure that children will not be able to get into it unaccompanied.
Do Not Leave Toys Near the Pool
Or anything that looks like a toy, for that matter. Your child will be naturally curious and they love to play with toys. For example, if they saw a ball around the pool, they are likely to go and kick it. This could easily result in them slipping into the pool, particularly if the floor is wet.
It is important that you do not leave pool chemicals near the pool either. Not because of the risk that your child is going to end up drinking them, more so down to the fact that the child will wonder what they are. This will lead them into the pool area, creating the risk of them falling in.
Pool Alarms
As much as you would like to, you can’t keep an eye on your children every minute of every day. Even if you tried, it is likely the child would try and skulk away at some point. If you have a swimming pool, it is important that you install a pool alarm.
Pool alarms can detect whether something has fallen into the pool. It does this by checking for ‘waves’ (either on top of the water, below the surface or both). If the sensor is triggered, an alarm will go off. If you react to this alarm instantly, you will be able to head out to the pool area and ensure that your child (or even your pet) is safe.
If you want to get your hands on one of these, you will find a list of some of the best pool alarms at Best Pool Alarms and Pool Gate Alarms.
