Pool Safety Tips
Essential water safety guidance from Houston Pool Safety Fence to protect your family
Drowning poses a significant risk to young children but it is preventable. As per the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning stands as the primary cause of death among children aged one to four. In order to help parents fully understand the importance of pool and water safety, Houston Pool Safety Fence prepared the following pool safety tips:
Essential Pool Safety Tips
Distractions make for tragedies
Parents are cautioned all the time about water safety, but drownings still occur. Always be aware and be in the present moment with your children. Never leave your child alone; if you have to leave, take your child with you.
Put in a pool fence
Install a mesh pool fence, a pool barrier that will isolate young children and pets from your pool area. Make sure it completely surrounds your pool. If you install a pool gate, use a self-closing, self-latching gate so that the gate always swings shut 100% of the time.
Remove toys from the pool area
Toys can attract young children into the pool. Completely remove the pool cover before using the pool. If a child is missing, check the pool first.
Wear a Life Jacket
Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
Keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool
Keep a pole, rope and personal flotation devices by the pool and know how to use them.
Make Sure Everyone Follows the Pool Rules
Teach your kids and all caregivers these pool rules:
- Do not run around the pool.
- No pushing or dunking in the pool.
- Never dive from the side of the pool or a diving board unless a pool is at least 9 feet deep. If the depth isn't posted, don't dive!
- Get out of the pool right away in bad weather, especially if there's lightning.
Additionally:
Do not let kids use mermaid tails or fins in the pool. They can make it hard to swim and lead to drowning.
Floaties do not prevent drowning. Kids who wear them still need the same supervision as those without them.
Never leave furniture near the fence
Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
Do not rely on flotation devices
Do not rely on the use of water wings, swim rings, inflatable toys or other items designed for water recreation to replace adult supervision.
Know the Signs of Drowning
What is "Dry Drowning"?
The phrase “dry drowning” refers to a series of delayed symptoms that a person may experience after a water-related incident or submersion injury. While the phrase describes real complications that may require medical treatment, it is important to note that dry drowning is not a recognized medical condition or scientific term.
Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment (essentially trouble breathing) due to water in the airway and lungs. “Dry drowning,” on the other hand, refers to complications that can arise after a person takes in water through their nose and/or mouth, but not into their lungs, causing a spasm that closes the airway.
Dry drowning usually happens soon after exiting the water. Research has shown that “dry drowning” has been observed during autopsy in 10% to 15% of drowning cases where people died after experiencing laryngospasm, which is when water touches the upper airways and triggers spasms leading to cardiac arrest.
Know Any Amount of Water Can Be a Risk
A child can drown in less than 2 inches of water. Even the teensiest wading pool requires constant supervision and should be drained and placed well out of reach when it’s not being used.
Large, inflatable pools often hold thousands of gallons of water that can’t easily be drained. A study published in Pediatrics found they pose a significant risk, especially among children under 5. If you do have one, surround it with a fence, cover it when not in use, and remove the steps or ladder once swim time is over.
Pool Drain Safety
- Keep children away from pool drains and ensure that they are properly covered to prevent entrapment.
- Ensure all pools and spas have VGB-compliant drain covers.
- New, safer drains are designed to be curved so that they can never be fully blocked by a body part.
- Do not let children play or swim near drains or suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools.
- Never enter a pool or spa that has a loose, broken or missing drain cover.
Virginia Graeme Baker, after whom the Pool and Spa Safety Act is named, died from drowning due to a suction entrapment from a faulty drain cover. All public pools and spas must have drain grates or covers that meet safety standards. Powerful suction from a pool or spa drain can even trap an adult.
Additional Pool Safety Measures
Keep pool water clean and balanced
You or your local pool service company should keep the water in your pool sanitary, balanced, and debris-free. If you have an automatic pool cleaner, remove it when you and your kids are swimming.
Restrict access to chemicals and equipment
If you service your own pool, lock up chemicals as a childproofing safeguard. Make sure the heater, filter, and other equipment are behind a fence or wall that’s at least 5 feet high.
Add shade to cut down on sunburns
Install awnings and invest in shade umbrellas. Make sure kids wear sunscreen and encourage them to take breaks for water and snacks.
Make the pool the first place you check
If children are missing, check the pool first – or any nearby body of water such as a pond, canal, waterway, the ocean etc.
Install pool alarms and door locks
Install alarms and door locks on any doors leading to the backyard to prevent unauthorized access.
Provide early infant swim instruction
Swimming is not only fun, it’s a lifesaving skill. Enroll children in swimming lessons; there are many free or reduced-cost options available.
Educate family members and caretakers
Educate family members, caretakers, and babysitters on pool safety protocols and procedures.
Supervise children at all times
Always have a designated water watcher on duty. That should be their only task – they shouldn’t be reading, texting or playing games on their phone.
Get CPR certified
Know how to perform CPR on children and adults. Often, bystanders are the first to aid a drowning victim, so learning CPR can help save a life.
Other Water Safety Tips
Water temperature matters
Water temperature can affect swimming ability. Falling into cold water can cause cold shock, which makes swimming difficult, even for strong swimmers. Wear a life jacket to reduce the risk of drowning.
Do not rely on flotation devices
Do not rely on the use of water wings, swim rings, inflatable toys or other items designed for water recreation to replace adult supervision.
Bird baths, fountains and ponds
Although these can be beautiful landscape features, consider holding off on installing or using them until your child is older.
Empty water containers immediately
Never leave a filled, open-top water container unattended. Empty buckets, wading pools, coolers with melted ice, and large pet water bowls after use.
Block access to bathrooms
Toddlers can topple headfirst into toilet bowls and filled tubs. Use safety latches or doorknob covers to keep bathrooms closed when not in use.
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