Kids are often fascinated by and drawn to water. For this reason, families are worried and especially careful around water because children aren't entirely aware of the risks. Moreover, kids are more prone to drowning in shallow water, whether at home or on vacation.
A swimming pool, which is often the highlight of family gatherings and activities, can be especially dangerous for children. That's why it's necessary for parents to childproof their pool. By doing so, they can leave their kids to enjoy their swimming experience without having to worry about their safety.
Below are some tips for childproofing your pool:
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Set Up Pool Barriers
Some states and municipalities require pools to have covers, walls, or fences. In line with this, home insurance coverage usually demands adherence to all local policies. Your policy probably holds you liable for any injuries caused by unwanted pool visitors, so it's best to restrict entry.
Pool Fence Checklist
The pool fence should prevent children from climbing over. The exact advice depends on the type of pool and the type of barrier:
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Pool fences should be at least four feet high, preferably five.
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Small gaps in the fence shouldn’t allow a child to pass. Vertical bars on a fence ought to be no more than four inches apart.
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A wall or fence's holes, stones, or cutouts shouldn’t serve as hand or footholds.
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Avoid placing huge stones or benches nearby. These can help children to hop the fence.
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Pool area gates should have self-closing locks out of reach of children.
A permanent, hardscaped fence isn't usually required. When installed properly, affordable mesh pool barriers may meet the standards discussed. To ensure the best results, it's recommended to contact a pool safety or childproofing expert for your house.
Also, it’s vital to use a decent pool safety cover. Pool safety coverings save lives, so make sure you're using the appropriate type. For instance, keep in mind that a summer pool cover isn’t designed to hold much weight but to keep the water warm and dirt out.
Even if your pool safety cover can withstand a lot of weight, don't let kids play on it. If you have a safety cover already, inspect it for any tears that may have formed since the last time your pool was winterized.
Keeping your pool closed over the winter prepares it for a quick spring or summer opening. You can find online pool closing supplies stores that sell everything from winter coverings and safety covers to pool closing chemicals to help you safely close your pool.
When Pool Isn’t Being Used
When you can't supervise your kids, lock the pool area. As a precaution, cover the water with a rigid cover and don't let water accumulate above the cover. To make the process more convenient, some homeowners buy mechanical covers with a switch.
Even if the pool isn't in use, keep rescue equipment like life preservers on hand. These pieces of equipment include kickboards, rope, and a pole. When it's time to swim, remove the pool cover so no one gets stuck.
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Install Gate, Pool Alarms
If you don't want kids getting in your pool unsupervised, install a gate alarm, floating sirens, or water motion sensors. A pool alarm system will alert owners if something unexpectedly hits the water. For instance, when a person or animal falls in, the sensor triggers the alarm.
With your goal to childproof your pool, you can consider the following types of alarms:
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Alarm for Pool Entry. With a pool entry alarm, a surface wave detection sensor recognizes disturbances in the water. You have the option of choosing between floating or permanent pool entry alarms. Regardless of whether the pool is in use, floating pool entry alarms must be pulled into and out of the pool, unlike permanent pool entry alarms.
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Alarm for Gate Entry. Gate alarms are used to alert adults when someone enters a fenced-in pool area. These pool alarms are available for installation on pool fence gates or windows. If the threshold is reached, these alarms will alert you.
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Check Pool Drains And Covers
Pool and spa drains can create suction powerful enough to entrap even strong swimmers. In several terrible incidents, children dragged into the drain not only drowned or nearly drowned but also suffered bodily damage.
Therefore, drain safety is a must. Make sure all drain covers are clean and intact.
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Safely Store Pool Chemicals
Drowning isn't the only pool safety risk. Keep in mind that winterizing your pool requires a range of chemicals to shock the water, avoid frozen pipes, and treat algae.
For your own protection, study the manufacturer's handling instructions and learn the emergency protocols in case of accidental pool chemical exposure. Most importantly, store your pool chemicals safely. If you keep pool chemicals in the garage, keep them out of reach of youngsters, close the container or packing, and lock the garage if feasible.
Children who eat or come into contact with pool chemicals may become sick or injured. Accidental pool chemical exposure can be deadly.
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Remove All Toys
Remove anything that might tempt young children to play unaccompanied around the pool. Therefore, store your pool inflatables and toys properly until the weather begins to warm up. Remove any slides or diving boards that youngsters may be enticed to use if possible. Moreover, remove all furniture from the area around the pool. The fewer children are drawn to the pool's edge, the safer it is.
Key Points To Remember
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Never leave a child unattended near water. Always keep an eye on youngsters when they are in, around, or in the water.
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Follow public pool rules and make your own pool rules. More importantly, make sure the rules are applied and followed by your kids. Set up rules such as the following:
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Don’t race or push around the pool.
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Never dive in non-diving areas.
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In terrible weather, especially if there's lightning, get out of the pool.
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Install and maintain suitable fencing that meets the necessary criteria.
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Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Knowing what to do if you find an unresponsive child or adult in a pool is crucial and adds another layer of protection besides barriers, covers, and alarms.
Conclusion
Using the above ideas will help you childproof your pool. Now that you've spent some time and money decorating your backyard, pool, and possibly even a deck, it's critical to put equal effort into safeguarding your children from pool-related danger.
