Best Tips for Home Pool Safety
10/12/2019 | Written by Nikos Vasilellis in Water Safety
Did you know that half of the drowning deaths of children aged 0-4 years old occur in backyard swimming pools? This striking data is a cause of major alarm to all parents of kids who own a home swimming pool.
Prevention is always the best solution. Such tragic events could be avoided with the appropriate use of pool safety devices: These are products that are used for reducing the risks of drowning. Before we take a closer look at the most useful of them all, it has to be crystal clear that the crucial point as far as the safety of kids is concerned is human supervision.
Material objects, of course, are also highly beneficial, but the human factor can't be substituted. The combination of the use of the right safety devices and active adult supervision is the optimal method.
Home Pool Safety Devices
Technology plays a predominant role in safety issues. Throughout the years, the general technological evolution has influenced the field of home pools, resulting in the production of pool safety devices such as:
- Pool safety fences
- Gate alarms
- Pool alarms
- Heat detectors
- Motion detectors
- Pool covers
- Wrist bands
- Gate locks
- Lifejackets
From all the above, the use of pool safety fences is very common for the assurance of safety. All parents shall, however, keep in mind that there is not a magical formula of safety that can be applied in all cases.
Therefore, if there are older children in the household who can easily open the pool safety fences, the use of a gate alarm could be more effective. On the other hand, if there are toddlers or young children in the house, gate locks or motion detectors could be more beneficial. In any case, parents shall evaluate the situation and adjust accordingly.
What to Keep in Mind about Home Pool Safety
Over the last decades, there have been great technological leaps forward in terms of home pool safety. However, there are many details that all parents shall not forget to avoid any dangerous incidents. Here is a list of them:
- Don't neglect to maintain the devices when it is needed
- Don't forget to change the batteries
- Make sure that you turn the devices on when the kids are home
- Keep a good check-in little details, such as the duration of the sound of the alarm when the gates are open or the possibility that it is disabled by external factors (animals, bad weather conditions, debris etc.)
- Reset or replace the devices after use so that they are active when needed
- Set the alarm on the right mode so it will be always on
- Always have a clear picture of where your child(ren) is/are when the alarm sounds
Details are Always Very Important
Details are always important, especially when we are talking about the safety of our children. You should not forget that fatal incidents are very often a result of negligence. As far as the swimming pool gate essentials are concerned, make sure that:
- The gate swings back to the closed position after it is opened
- It latches and stays closed when it is returned to the closed position
- It is secured when latched and can't be pulled open
- It remains closed and secure even when a child plays around the bottom trail of the bottom rail of the gate
Additionally, parents shall ensure that the distance between the swimming pool gate and the swimming pool fence is less than 100 meters. Regarding the swimming pool fence, it is also important that all of the fence panels are in place and securely attached, there are no gaps or holes at the fence and that the distance between the bottom rail and the ground is less than 100 mm.
Another possible source of danger is the existence of trees or shrubs around the swimming pool fence, that could be used by children to climb it. Furthermore, all of the pool's suction fittings and plumbing covers shall be securely in place and kept in good condition.
Finally, all pool chemicals should be stored securely, out of the sight and reach of children.
