Home Pool Safety Tips for Summer

The summer is finally here and that means it’s time to hit the pool! Pools are a fun and effective way to cool off from the summer heat, but they can also be an unsafe place for your children.

Before you dive in, make sure you’re taking some precautions. After all, nobody wants a trip to the ER after slipping on water get out of the pool. In this post we’ll cover some home pool safety tips for summer so you can have fun without fear.

Secure with proper barriers

Ensure that your pool has a fence at least four feet high around it, with a self-closing and self-latching gate. This will help to keep young children from falling into the pool or wandering into other unsafe places. Consider installing a door alarm and a pool safety cover for when you’re not around. Remove ladders when above ground pools are not in use.

Provide floatation devices for all ages

Children under the age of four should always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket (https://www.familyvacationcritic.com/best-life-vests-for-kids/art/) when near water, and all family members will need to know how to use them in case they fall into the pool unsupervised. Make sure you have enough floatation devices for everyone as well!

Always supervise children

It’s necessary for adults to supervise anyone who’s swimming in a pool at all times, no matter what their age. A parent or guardian must always make sure their children are playing in the shallow end of a pool and not going near its deep ends.

Just you? Let someone know where you’ll be.

Your pool is the perfect place to get some alone time to relax. But even if you’re swimming by yourself, never swim alone. Always make sure someone knows where you are and can find you if needed.

Make sure someone nearby knows CPR

Not everyone has to be a trained lifeguard, but knowing CPR could be the difference between life and death. Make sure someone nearby is trained in CPR.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) sites non-boat related drowning as the fifth-leading cause of unintentional death in the United States – and those statistics are higher for young children.

Consider posting visible signs demonstrating basic CPR and first-aid instructions near the pool area.

Establish pool rules for all swimmers. Start with:

• No diving
• No running
• No swimming under the influence

Don’t forget your sunscreen

Pool water can reflect the sun’s harmful rays, so make sure you’re protected with sunscreen. The CDC recommends using at least SPF 15 and reapplying every two hours or after swimming for a prolonged period of time in order to maintain protection against ultraviolet radiation.

Additional safety measures

One common danger is that children will slip on wet pool tiles. You may want to consider installing some nonslip dots near the entrance gate to keep those edges from being hazardous.

Another helpful tip: attach emergency contact numbers onto your phone where they are visible but won’t get lost if dropped into the water!

Remember to always be aware of any nearby hazards — including household chemicals which could enter the pool environment as well as animals who might wander over–and teach your children to do the same.

Review your homeowners insurance policy

It’s important to review your homeowners insurance policy and ensure coverage for liability if someone gets injured at your pool.

Whenever you have a pool in your backyard, it’s important to provide safety for guests and children. Poolside accidents can happen quickly without proper supervision or water protection so don’t take the risk of not being prepared!

Give us a call at (732) 566-003 or complete our contact form to request an insurance quote today that will cover all of your home including your swimming pool.