Your backyard pool can be a source of great joy to your family, but it can also be a very dangerous place if children can gain unsupervised access to the pool area. In fact, drowning is a leading cause of death in children under the age of five.
Why Backyard Pool Safety Is So Important
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports an average of 350 children age five or under drown every year in swimming pools. An additional 2600 children under the age of five end up in the emergency room after falling into swimming pools, and several of those kids suffer permanent brain damage.
Prevent a backyard pool tragedy by heeding these safety tips:
- The fence around your pool should be at least four feet tall, and the latches to get in should be high enough that small children cannot reach them. All gates should close and latch on their own.
- If there is a ladder to reach your pool, remove it when the pool is not in use.
- Install alarms on doors that lead to the pool area, and make sure they are always in good working order.
- Invest in pool alarms that alert you to the motion of a child or pet falling into the water.
- Any diving or sliding should be very carefully supervised.
- Keep rescue equipment and a portable phone by the pool at all times.
- Remove all toys from the pool when playtime is over so a child is not tempted to reach for them.
Finally, if a child ever goes missing, look immediately to the pool. The faster you reach a child in the water, the better the chances of survival.
Shannon Dauphin is a freelance writer based near Nashville, Tennessee. Her house was built in 1901, so home repair and renovation have become her hobbies.
