Pools

Pool ownership is sure to bring laughs, good times and great memories. But with pool ownership also comes great responsibility. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children aged 1 to 4. According to the Centers for Disease Control, three children die daily due to drowning. 

These sobering statistics aren’t intended to drive homeowners away from pool ownership, but rather bring attention to the continued need for pool safety. With May being National Pool Safety Month, it’s the perfect time to reiterate necessary safety measures designed to keep your kids safe in and near the water. 

What Does Drowning Look Like?

Forget everything you’ve seen in the movies because drowning looks nothing like it. Drowning happens within seconds, it is silent and it doesn’t discriminate. While we all want to believe that something of this nature will never happen to us, there is never a guarantee. Yet, if we understand the prevalence of drowning and know successful ways to combat it, then how come it remains a leading cause of death in our children? 

The short answer is complacency. We’re all guilty of thinking the unfathomable can’t happen to us, so we forgo the necessary steps to equip our pools, ourselves and our children with proven layers of protection that can help provide safety of some capacity in dangerous situations or when an unexpected lapse of adult supervision occurs. Did you know that most drownings occur during non-swim times? That means drownings happen when children aren’t even in their swimming suits planning on or already swimming. 

Practice the Layers of Protection

Below are important layers of protection and safety tips to consider implementing to stay safe in and around water:

1. Never leave a child unattended in or near the water. Children are generally curious whether they are outside playing, running through the house or out by the pool. Make sure there is always one person whose sole responsibility is watching a child in or near the water. That means no smart devices, books being read or focused on anyone else. This designated water watcher has the responsibility to watch the kids at all times. 

2. Enroll children in survival swimming lessons. Survival swimming is a child’s ability to float and breathe regardless of the water’s depth for an indefinite amount of time. Survival swim means your child, beginning at the age of six months old, can roll-back-to-float position and get themselves to the pool’s edge or staircase where they can get out of the water on their own or wait to be rescued.

3. Teach children to stay away from drains while in a pool or hot tub; and ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers. The vacuum effect of a pool or hot tub drain is strong enough to hold swimmers, especially children, underwater at the bottom of a pool either by their skin or their hair. Old covers are flat allowing a body to completely enclose the drain cover while new covers are rounded and unable to be completely covered by the body. Make sure your pool drain cover and other pools you visit are VGB-compliant.

4. Install pool barriers. Barriers like fencing, a pool cover and pool alarms are imperative in buying time should there be a lapse in supervision. Be sure to equip your pool and pool area with fences, covers and alarms that meet regulations. 

5. Know CPR. Parents, grandparents, child care providers, older siblings, and anyone who is responsible for watching kids should know how to provide rescue techniques like CPR in response to an emergency.   

6. Sign the Pool Safely Pledge. Be proactive in keeping everyone safe in and around the water by signing this online call to action.