Pool Safety Tips For Children – If you have a pool, pond, spa, or hot tub on your property, you have a lot of responsibility for making sure they are safe. Children and adolescents, drowning is a leading cause of death and can occur in as little as a few seconds to a few minutes.
Kids will be safer in and around water if you use these layers of protection. Which one will ultimately save a life is unknown.
Designate a Water Watcher: Children should always be supervised by an adult when they are in or around a pool or other body of water. The water watcher ought to be at arm’s length from young children and swimmers who are just starting out. Even older children who are able to swim should always be observed by them. The water watcher should avoid socializing, drinking alcohol, using a cellphone, or engaging in any other activity that could be distracting. Have adults take turns being water watchers at a party. Children should be watched by a water watcher even if a lifeguard is present.
Parents should be aware of these home swimming pool safety tips. Having a pool in your backyard means endless summer fun, but it also means a lot of responsibility to keep your kids safe and moving quickly.
Pools are a simple way to keep kids occupied for hours, but water is cruel.
Think carefully about pool services: Hire a certified professional to check that the pool’s safety cover is functioning properly, the electrical components are up to snuff, and the fencing is solid, with self-closing and self-latching gates functioning as they should. Ask your service provider to look for and fix any loose screws or rough edges that could catch swimmers’ hair or bathing suits and trap them. An exposed pool drain can literally suck the body out of a swimmer at the bottom of a pool or spa. Notify the owner and keep everyone out of the water if you find a pool or spa with an exposed hole at the bottom.
Implement your emergency strategy: Knowing even fundamental CPR and acting right away rather than sitting tight for crisis responders can be very helpful in suffocating cases or whenever an individual’s heart stops. Sign up a group of parents for CPR classes or purchase a CPR party kit to teach these skills at home. Make sure to print your home’s address in permanent marker on an all-weather sign with CPR instructions that you can hang on the inside of your pool gate in case anyone needs to call an ambulance. Water in a child’s lungs can still cause serious problems, even if they do not require CPR after being submerged.
Put your phone away: Lifeguards see it constantly. Some parents and caregivers arrive at the pool, tell the children to stay in the shallow end, and then go right on their phones. Lifeguards or other adults end up taking care of unsupervised children. However, children can quietly submerge beneath the surface and drown in a matter of seconds—the same amount of time it takes to post on Instagram. Your phone shouldn’t be left at home; in fact, you should keep it fully charged and easily accessible so that you can call for assistance in an emergency. But put that scumbag to rest and put it in your bag. Then encourage your friends to follow suit. Find a responsible adult to take your place while you step away if you absolutely must send an urgent email or call.
READ: Health And Safety Training Child Care – For Child Care Attendants & Mothers
Make swimming lessons a top priority for your health care: Your child will, at some point, be near water, whether on vacation or at someone else’s house, even if you don’t live near it. A recent policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that while taking swimming lessons cannot “drown-proof” anyone, they may be beneficial to children between the ages of one and four.
Install a fence that is at least four feet high around the pool: A young child should not be able to get over, under, or through the fence through any openings or protrusions. Check to see that the gate to your pool is self-closing, self-latching, and opens completely. The distance between the bottom of the fence and the ground should be less than four inches, and latches should be out of reach for children. Never leave a gate to the pool area propped open.
Create multiple layers of safety: If you have a pool, ensure that you maintain its shape. It is easier to see what is happening below the surface when the water is clean and clear, and you also reduce the risk of water-borne illnesses. All toys and floats, which can entice curious children, should be collected and stored after swim time. A lifesaving ring, floats, and a shepherd’s crook reaching pole should always be in the same place, and you should also install and maintain a pump to prevent potentially fatal pool cover puddling.
Good and important options that can stand between your family and a devastating tragedy include in-ground pool alarms, motorized pool safety covers, deadbolt locks on back doors, four-sided pool fences, and flotation devices that have been approved by the Coast Guard.
Additionally, a sonar device that sounds an alarm when something enters the water is safer. If that is not possible, purchase a floating alarm that sounds when the water is moved.
Even during the swimming season, cover your pool with a rigid safety cover, preferably motorized, whenever you aren’t using it. When not in use, remove ladders and steps from an above-ground pool. Check to see that the cover fits snugly over the entire surface of the pool. A child might fall under it and become trapped otherwise.
Do not use chemical dispensers that look like toys or leave toys in the pool area.
Avoid being caught: Few parents are aware that children can drown in a hot tub or pool if they become entangled in a drain and sucked down. You should always be aware of the state of the pool’s drains. Ask your pool operator if your pool or spa drains comply with the Pool and Spa Safety Act if you notice a broken or missing drain cover.
Ask your pool service technician to install anti-entrapment drain covers and other devices on your home swimming pool’s drains and other suction fittings.
Your pool should also have at least two drains for each pump. If one drain is blocked, your pool won’t get as much powerful suction. Safety vacuum-release systems should be installed in single-drain pools, hot tubs, whirlpools, and spas. These systems automatically release the suction if a drain becomes blocked.
Keep a close eye on your child and make sure they don’t play or swim near drains. Make sure their swimsuit fits snugly and has no loose ties, and either tie their hair back or have them wear a bathing cap.
24 Pool Safety Tips For Children
- Children swimming should always be supervised by an adult.
- Children should never be left alone in or near water.
- Never let kids swim by themselves. The buddy system should be taught to them.
- Children should only swim in designated or supervised areas.
- Never let a child swim when there is lightning or a storm.
- Never use pool toys or water wings as life jackets.
- Ensure that children are aware of the water’s depth.
- Do not permit children to dive or jump into water that is shallower than 9 feet.
- While swimming, diving, or playing in the water, you should not eat or chew gum.
- Keep a phone with emergency numbers and a first aid kit close to the water.
- Instruct every child over the age of four to participate in a swimming program.
- Make sure that no one is allowed to run, push people in, or submerge other swimmers in water.
- Be mindful of the wave action and underwater currents at the ocean. Never run and dive headfirst into the waves.
- Swimming shouldn’t be done too much.
- Ensure that the pool is clearly visible from your home.
- Ensure that young children cannot reach any gate handles.
- Keep all appliances that use electricity away from the pool area.
- Store chemicals for sanitation with care. If the chemicals are handled by children or stored improperly, they can cause explosions and burn injuries.
- Pay attention to instructions and follow the rules of the pool. There are some public swimming rules, ensure your child is aware of these. The use of particular kits may be mentioned in some of these rules. Always follow the rules of the pool.
- Avoid diving into the shallow parts of the pool. Diving into the pool can cause injuries that last a lifetime. Therefore, it is best to concentrate on a few specific areas. Never dive into a pool that is above ground. It is a crucial piece of advice that must be adhered to by everyone.
- No roughhousing Children should be warned by their parents not to roughhouse. Playing in the pool can lead to drowning, especially when children are young. In the pool, no one should hold anyone underwater or jump on them.
- Avoid playing near pool drains and covers, even if you have all the necessary safety gear. Nobody ought to play near pipes or drains.
- Sun safety is part of the deal. When you swim outside, always wear sunscreen and dress appropriately at the pool. Kids especially need to know this.
- Proper use of pool safety gear. Pool safety gear should not be used as toys. Parents should make sure that all of the equipment is in good condition and ready to use whenever it’s needed.
Note: You can use floating lounges in pools as an additional safety measure for children.
