According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 260 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools every year in the United States. Increase the age to 14 and the number of children drowning each year rises to 900. That makes drowning the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in children. Here are some safety tips for home swimming pools from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to make sure a child doesn't become a statistic.
How to Keep a Home Swimming Pool Safe
- Even though the pool may have a drain cover and be fenced in, the best way to prevent an accident or drowning is to always supervise a child while in and around the pool. Just because a child knows how to swim, does not mean the child is not at risk for drowning. An adult who is supervising a child should also know how to swim and perform CPR. The adult should be within an arm's reach of a child.
- Make sure a child knows how to swim. If a child doesn't know how to swim, enroll the child in a swimming class with a qualified instructor. Always use a life jacket and do not use floatation devices as a substitute for adult supervision. Also keep rescue equipment such as a life preserver and a telephone near the pool just in case.
- Do not allow a child to dive off a diving board unless a child has also had diving lessons and the pool is at a minimum of nine feet deep.
- When the pool is not in use, steps and ladders should be secured or removed. Also, empty all buckets, containers and wading pools after use. Store them upside-down and out of a child's reach. Remove all toys from the pool area so there is no temptation for a child to go back and reach for them.
- Get a regular inspection by a professional for any potential hazards.
Pool Installation and Mechanics
- Install multiple drains in the pool to minimize suction at one drain. If a child has long hair, pull it up so it is less likely to be caught in a drain. Check on a regular basis to make sure the drain covers don't have any cracks and are secure. Replace flat drain covers with dome-shaped covers.
- Install four-sided isolation fencing around the pool that is four or five feet high with self-closing and self-latching gates. This will separate the pool from the house. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool.
- Know where the safety vacuum release system (SVRS) is and how to shut it off. If something does block the drain, this will turn the pump off and stop the suction.
- Pool alarms and pool covers are another good layer of protection. Pool covers can be bought motorized and pool alarms will sound if a child steps out of the house and toward the pool.
As always, an adult must be present the entire time a child is by or in a pool. If swimming in open water, such as a lake or ocean, parents should be aware of any waves, undercurrents and undertows that could affect a child's swimming.
Also check with the town's regulations and rules about pool safety and installation. The town may have more rules or additional guidelines to follow.
