Tips for Staying Safe in a Backyard Pool
In honor of National Water Safety Month, Little Fishes Swim School presents guidelines for practicing safe swimming in your own backyard. After all, lifeguards likely aren’t present at your residential pool, so adding as many water safety steps as possible is the best way to ensure a safe and fun experience for all.
- Enroll your little fish in swimming lessons as early as possible.
- Always watch your little fish when they are in or near the pool—and never assume someone else is.
- Assess the swimming skills of your child-age guests and require them to wear a coast guard approved flotation device if they cannot swim the length of the pool with their face in the water.
- Keep children away from pipes, pool drains, and any other openings that could potentially cause entrapment.
- Keep a cell phone close by at all times when anyone is in or near the pool.
- If a child ever goes missing, look in the pool immediately.
- Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.
- Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and use self-closing and self-latching gates.
- Don’t leave chairs or other items of furniture where a child could use them to climb into a fenced pool area.
- Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.
- Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.
- Keep rescue equipment and a first aid kit at poolside.
- Don’t leave objects such as toys that might attract a child in the pool and pool area.
Taking these precautions is a great way to ensure water safety at your residential pool. In addition, communicating pool rules to your little fish and friends is equally important. Caution them against playing rough, and explain the dangers of running and diving recklessly.
Have a safe and fun Summer!