7 ways to play it safe at the pool
Summer just wouldn’t be summer without relaxing by the pool and throwing pool parties.
But pools present many safety concerns, especially for children. Here are seven ways to keep summer pool time safe, according to John Drengenberg, consumer safety director at UL, the safety consultation and certification company.
1. Kids need adult supervision
Designate an adult to be in charge of watching kids in the pool. And no, leaving them with older kids does not count.
“The teenagers â€" they’re playing too,†Drengenberg said. Drowning is often a quick and silent death.
The adult watching the kids should practice the 10/20 rule: Scan the pool every 10 seconds while stationed close enough to get to a child in distress within 20 seconds if needed.
2. There’s no substitute for safety devices
Kids (or adults) can fall off pool floats. And inflatable “water wings†can puncture and deflate. “Those are not safety devices,†Drengenberg said.
Instead, purchase life jackets and replace them when they become worn or torn, or no longer fit: “What worked last summer might not work this summer,†he said.
3. Keep a fully charged phone by the pool
If someone needs medical attention for drowning or another accident, having a phone handy means no wasted time running to the house to find it. Posting the home’s address in an obvious spot can also help a guest who may be handling the call to an emergency operator.
4. Empty kiddie pools
Small children can easily drown in shallow water because they do not have the upper body strength to pull themselves up as adults do. Leaving a kiddie pool full of water in the backyard makes falling in and drowning easy.
5. Install a fence around larger pools
A fence with a gate makes it harder for small children to gain access to a pool unsupervised. Pennsylvania has a swimming pool fencing law that requires, among other things, that a fence gate must be self-closing and self-latching, and that it opens out. Check with your local municipality about rules and inspections. And keep the outside of fences cleared of anything â€" such as stacked lawn chairs â€" that a determined kid can climb on to get over the fence.
6. Watch the alcohol
Pool parties and cook-outs often involve drinking. And excessive drinking can contribute to a drowning in a host of ways, including a failure to keep a watchful eye on little ones.
7. Curb the horseplay
Your parents probably taught you this one way back when. Diving and showing off with a cannonball or a backflip can be dangerous for less-experienced swimmers â€" or the people around them. Best to leave it to the professionals.
â€" Los Angeles Times reporter Alex Gordon. Morning Call Entertainment/Lifestyle Editor Mike Hirsch also contributed to this story.
APPS AND HARDWARE
Some apps and hardware that can help keep kids safe in and around the pool:
Apps:
Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim: It bills itself as “a child’s first guide to water safety. Written for children ages 2 through 6.†It features interactive animations and read-to-me audio. Free download. A companion game Super Stewie Safety Toss, which costs $1.99, creates an interactive game reinforcing the message to “nev er be by a pool, lake, ocean or river without first strapping on a life vest.â€
First Aid by American Red Cross: The free app has the recommended first-aid techniques for all types of injuries, including those that can happen in and around the water.
Hardware:
From the Techko Safe Pool Alarm to the Poolguard In-Ground Pool Alarm, there are products that will send an alert to a receiver when an animal or person enters the pool. And there are short fencing options to deter little ones from getting into a pool. One of the more popular ones is Pool Fence DIY by Life Saver Fencing. The kit retails for under $100 for each 12-foot section.
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