Pool safety precautions are an important aspect of owning a private pool or visiting a public one. Keeping the area blocked off with a lockable gate, learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and knowing how to properly close a pool can help save lives. It is also generally recommended to have an emergency or drowning prevention plan in place so children and adults alike will know what to do when they spot someone drowning. Pool safety is more than not diving in the shallow end and maintaining adult supervision; it is also implementing early childhood swimming classes, using secured pool covers, and never swimming alone. By following tips for pool safety, people can keep their family and friends a bit safer all year round.
Children are more likely to die in a pool than adults for many reasons, including not being strong swimmers, swimming with limited or no adult supervision, and wandering into a pool area that is not fenced off. Adults can prevent these unnecessary deaths by giving their children swimming lessons, always watching them while they're swimming, and fencing and locking the path to the pool. A child should never be left alone in a pool, even if he or she is wearing inflatable armbands or swimming wings. The child could purposefully or accidentally remove the armbands, dive in a shallow area, or slip, all of which can lead to serious injury and even death.
It is typically considered important for the premises of a pool, whether it is a commercial or private place, to be properly stocked with equipment for emergency situations. One item that may not always be commonly thought of is an alarm bell that can be rung to notify people of an emergency situation. It is also generally advisable to have a properly stocked first-aid kit in a prominent location around the pool, as well as an emergency flotation device with an attached rope.
The winter season and other times of the year while pools are not in use present unique pool safety concerns. It is almost always advisable to have pools closed and properly secured when they are going to remain out of use for an extended period of time. In some cases, a closed pool is essentially a concrete ditch that can pose health and legal risks if someone were to purposefully or accidentally fall into it. When a pool is not drained for the off season, it may also be important to properly winterize it with the appropriate chemicals in order to avoid risks posed by improperly treated standing water. Lastly, when a pool is improperly closed or secured, this can pose additional risks in and of itself if people around it are lulled into a false sense of security when around it.