It is impossible to prevent accidents from occurring. That is, after all, the nature of an accident; they happen by chance. You can, however, do everything in your power to reduce the likelihood of an accident. If you own a swimming pool, accidents can be costly for you. In addition to ensuring you have enough homeowner’s insurance to cover your swimming pool, you should take every precaution possible to prevent the likelihood of an accident. Here are a few swimming pool safety tips that you should put into place.
Accessibility
Do what you can to keep your pool inaccessible when not in use. Keep the pool (or hot tub) fenced off and make sure that the door or gate has a lock,… and use that lock. You should also keep your pool covered when not in use. Not only will this prevent someone from falling in, but if you have a solar cover, there is an added bonus of using the heat of the sun to keep the pool water at a comfortable temperature.
Supervision
Never leave anyone alone at the pool, especially children. Children are spontaneous creatures and even if they “promise” to stay out of the water until you return from a quick trip to get something, that is no guarantee. Never leave a child by the pool alone. There should always be an adult (who is able to swim) to watch over the pool.
Quick Access to Help
In this day and age, it is rare for someone to be without their cell phone, but make sure that even by the pool, someone has a phone available. This will reduce time spent searching for a phone in case of an accident. It is also important that someone, other than you, knows your address so rescue crews can quickly get to you.
Life Preservers
In case an accident does occur, you should have life preservers and safety poles easily accessible. With swimming pool accidents, time is of the essence. You should also know CPR so that, if necessary, you can help an injured person while waiting for help to arrive.
Summary of Swimming Pool Safety Tips
You should not let the possibility of an accident keep you from enjoying your swimming pool. You should, however, use these swimming pool safety tips above to reduce the possibility of an accident. Securing the area, ensuring supervision, having safety equipment on-hand, and being able to quickly call for help are all important precautions. If you know that you are doing everything you can to prevent accidents, you will be able to relax and enjoy cooling off in your backyard swimming pool.