Warm weather brings fun in the sun. One of the most popular summer time activities is enjoying a day at the swimming pool with friends and family. Your time can be fun if some simple steps are taken to keep everyone safe. If you own a swimming pool, it’s crucial that you take steps to ensure the safety of everyone, particularly children; in and around water.
- Always watch your children whenever they are in or near a swimming pool. If multiple adults are present, designate one of them to watch the children for a designated amount of time and then rotate. This technique will prevent lapses in supervision.
- Teach children basic water safety tips and enroll them in swimming lessons
- Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments
- Don’t rely on fun toys such as water wings or noodles to keep your children safe. If your child can’t swim, fit them with an appropriate personal flotation device (PFD)
- Have these items close by at all times when you or family are using a pool or spa: portable telephone, first aid kit, flotation device, and a pair of scissors to cut hair, clothing or a pool cover if needed
- If a child is missing, look for him/her in the pool first
- Share safety instructions with family, friends and neigbours
- Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
- Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly
- Install a fence around the pool and use self-closing and self-latching gates
- Install and use lockable safety cover on your pool
If you have a swimming pool or if you plan to spend time near one this summer, it’s important that you are prepared and knowledgeable of the dangers. Following these water safety steps is a good way to assure a great experience.