Drowning is to blame for nearly 30% of children’s deaths related to unintentional injury, and drowning in a private pool is the second leading cause of death among teenagers.
These statistics alone are frightening; however, they aren’t the only reasons why you should consider developing home swimming pool safety tips for your family.
For every drowning that occurs in the country, there are 11 near-drowningincidents, many of which result in disabling brain damage.
With all these statistics to consider, here is the most glaring of them all: roughly 70% of drowning incidents occurred when children were not adequately supervised.
In other words, supervision is the best idea to protect your children from an accident around your pool. However, supervision isn’t 100% foolproof, and we all know mistakes and errors in judgment happen.
The article is to minimize these security issues and mistakes by implementing home swimming pool security rules, as well as relying on a few pieces of safety equipment for your pool area.
Follow these home swimming pool safety guidelines (for parents, kids) so that you can greatly decrease the chances of anyone in your family getting hurt – or worse – around your swimming pool.
Don’t be the only eyes on your pool: invest in a security camera or a pool alarm
We all know that swimming pool security barriers and fences are vital (and, in fact, required). But have you ever considered investing in a security camera or a pool alarm?
Home swimming pool security camera
A surveillance camera lets you 24/7 continuously monitor your pool area, even when you are away. Compared with other swimming pool safety supplies or security guards, it is much more reliable for both inground and above-ground pools. Any footage in the detected area recorded can also be used as legal evidence, if you fall into a lawsuit.
Various security cameras are available for you in the market, many of which are actually for pool monitoring. Here are some examples of high quality swimming pool security cameras from top CCTV camera brands. All these cameras have HD video quality and excellent night vision, motion detection, remote mobile viewing, and other features a home swimming pool security camera should have.
Your Best Security Camera or Security System Solutions; Plug and Play; 5MP/4MP Super HD; Smartphone Remote Access; Night Vision & Motion Detection
Make sure it is properly installed. If necessary, you can turn to detailed security camera installation guide. You and your family would not feel uncomfortable with cameras in a private backyard pool, for the live and recorded video would not be viewed by other people. And to make it safer, you can also take proactive measures to prevent your security camera from being hacked.
Here is video footage, captured with a Reolink camera, showing Juli fell into the swimming pool. Luckily, Juli was totally fine and her phone still works!
Swimming pool alarm
If you want to try pool alarms as a pool security device, you can choose from pool gate alarms (that sound when the gates are breached) or water alarms (that will notify you when someone goes into the water).
There’s a lot to consider when choosing an alarm. You could choose a fence/wall-mounted pool alarm, which tends to be one of the least expensive models on the market. However, they’re generally easy to bypass.
Pool-mounted infrared detectors are harder to evade; however, the sensors are located closer to the actual pool, meaning once the alarm sounds, chances are someone has already fallen inside the pool.
Underwater motion alarms use sonar, so they’ll never sound false alarms due to wind-generated movement. They’re also always on, which in good; however, that means you’ll have to manually turn them off whenever you want to use the pool. And considering these factors, it is wiser to use a swimming pool security camera mentioned above.
Keep your kids safe with your swimming pool security cover
Many pool owners invest in a pool cover for one of two reasons:
- To keep their pools heated
- To protect their pools from unwanted debris
But did you know that specialized covers can protect your family from the dangers of a swimming pool?
We recommend you search for a pool safety cover that is designed not to retain water on the top side – even when someone stands on the cover.
Automatic pool covers are among the best in the field. These covers are attached to two tracks that run parallel on each side of the pool.
Home swimming pool safety for kids: it takes a village
No matter how extensive your swimming pool safety rules are, chances are your children don’t just spend time in your pool. If your neighbors or your children’s friends have pools, you’ll want to make sure that similar pool safety guidelines are put into place. Moreover, go to Swimming Pool Help Forums to round up more you can do to make your pool more secure.
This includes basic security measures, such as:
- Children should always be supervised.
- Back gates and fence doors should be secured.
- There shouldn’t be any unnecessary running near the pool.
However, you, your neighbors, and the families of your children’s friends should also compile an exhaustive home swimming pool safety instruments checklist as a way to ensure that everyone is prepared in case of any type of emergency.
A pool safety equipment checklist could include:
- A 12-foot-long rescue pole with blunted ends.
- A 1/4-inch diameter throwing rope (as long as 1½ times the maximum width of the pool.
- A comprehensive first-aid kit (a 24-piece kit should suffice).
- A kit to clean up blood spills.
- A spine board.
- Access to a working phone near the pool (we suggest ensuring there’s a nearby outlet to keep your phone charged).
- A sign that contains emergency numbers (911) and the address of the pool (this is because in a time of emergency, you can’t rely on memory recall).
Keep pool time fun … and safe, with these tips for kids, parents and seniors
Swimming in a pool is like a rite of passage for most children; but it’s a rite of passage that comes with responsibilities for the entire family.
While you can go online to find endless home swimming pool safety tips for parents, it’s just as important that your children and your senior parents understand the safety regulations involved. Go over not only your rules, but your equipment checklist as well, each summer, so that you and your family never have to worry about becoming an unwanted statistic.