Are you thinking about installing a swimming pool in your backyard, and making your house the center of summer fun? If so, there are several important items to consider around swimming pool safety when you install the pool. Although a swimming pool is full of happy times with everyone thinking about summer BBQs and picnics, being outdoors on a hot summer day, and having fun with friends and family, it’s important to consider all safety aspects of a pool to make sure these fun times continue. Here is a guide to swimming pool safety including tips and items to purchase to make sure your swimming pool is safe for fun.
Border Fence
Usually when installing a swimming pool, whether it is in ground or above ground, it’s usually required to install a fence around the border of the pool. Usually homeowners will install some kind of deck or cement patio combination around the pool. A fence would then be around the exterior of the patio to enclose the entire area. This is a really good idea for safety because when the swimming pool is not in use, if you and your spouse are at work and the children are in school, it will prevent anyone from wandering into the swimming pool area and accidentally falling into the swimming pool. A fence around the swimming pool will ensure that your area is safe and eliminate a lot of worry on your mind. Most of the time, homeowners elect to erect a wooden fence around the property as it is also a nice visual look that enhances a homeowner’s backyard. However, you can also install a chain link fence around the pool. Just make sure it is high enough to prevent anyone from climbing over the fence.
Pool Covers
Another important safety item is having a pool cover to use over top of the pool when not in use. This will be a great way to cover the pool when not in use to keep out a variety of things such as leaves that fall from trees around your property, insects, as well as potentially frogs. Frogs tend to find their way to water and will end up in swimming pools and eventually drown. All of these items can cause contamination / dirt to build up within the swimming pool, making it not safe to be in. You will also need to spend much more time cleaning the pool to get it ready for use. A swimming pool cover will ensure that your swimming pool is kept clean at all times and not unsafe for fun use.
Life Preserver
A highly recommended swimming pool safety tip is to purchase a life preserver from your local department or swimming pool store. You can install hooks on the fence around your swimming pool to hold the life preserver in place and so that it’s easily accessible in the event of an incident. A great place to store it would be on the fence near the deep end of the pool as that is the area of the pool that is the most at risk for a drowning incident. This way, someone can easily toss the life preserver to the person in the pool who is in trouble.
Ground Rules
Finally, the most important thing to establish swimming pool safety in your household is to establish a set of ground rules that are respected by everyone in your family as well as your party guests. It’s a good idea to set up the following rules:
- No one can swim alone. There must be at least two people occupying the swimming pool area at all times.
- No swimming in the darkness without swimming pool lights on and multiple people present.
- You cannot spend more than 10 minutes in the deep end of the swimming pool at one time.
- Always tell a parent if not home that you and a friend will be in the swimming pool while they are out.
Establishing ground rules such as this and educating everyone on them will help establish common sense and respect that is required to be safe in a swimming pool.
In summary, we think these are very good steps and measures to take to ensure that the swimming pool in your household is safe at all times. Have fun!
