Six Ways To Stay Safe Around The Swimming Pool

Six Ways To Stay Safe Around The Swimming Pool

Here are the top six ways to play it safe around the swimming pool this summer:

Don't avoid the water:  Even little ones can take swimming lessons.  Learning things like how to tread water and how to float are fun.  Plus you'll be teaching your kids a new skill and also showing them how to embrace the water instead of avoiding it.

Make sure locks and fences are secure:  While you might have 'water kids' your neighbors or visitors may not.  Be sure that any pool fencing is secure and that the outside doors with direct access to the swimming pool are self-locking and hard for the little ones to reach.

Have safety devices readily available:  Be sure that floatation rings and hooks with extended handles are easily within reach should a swimmer need to be rescued.

Walk, don't run:  Slipping and sliding around the pool decking doesn't ensure that there will be a water landing.  While pools are fun places to be, decorative features like water falls and slides have hard edges.  Take the time to repair any cracked or worn decking surfaces around the pool.

Water depths:  Be sure that the depth of the pool can clearly be noted.  Water depths can be deceiving from the surface and the last thing you want is for somebody to dive into the low end of the pool.

Inspect electrical fixtures:  Under water lighting looks great at night when you're gathered around the pool for a dinner party.  Many areas now require ground-fault circuit interrupters be used to avoid serious electrical shock.  Having a licensed electrician annually inspect these fixtures should be at the top of your annual maintenance check list.