Tuesday, May 25, 2010

How to Keep Children Safe Near Pools

Summer used around ponds, lakes, pools and beaches are more fun because it gives you a chance to cool off and relax. But please remember that these sites are potentially dangerous, especially for small children. Nearly 1,000 children die each year from drowning according to expert estimates. This typically occurs in homes and private swimming pools. To have a good summer and keep children safe, here are a few things to remember.

Always provide supervision for children. Accidents can happen when a child is left alone for just a few seconds, so keep this in mind. If your child goes swimming, beware. Do not rely on others to keep a guard over them.

Life jackets and inflatable devices can be used to help protect your children. Although they will not replace your personal supervision, they can help increase your reaction time if something were to happen. Consider them an extra security layer.

Take swimming lessons with your child. Provide them with qualified teachers. Do not assume this instruction will keep accidents. Again, your child's swimming activity always happen with proper supervision.

A fence at least four feet shall be installed around the pool. The fence should separate the other play areas of the yard and house from the pool. Install self-locking and self-closing doors. Your child should not be able to reach the locks of these barriers.

Alarms and door looks should also be used. If you do it in practice will keep your child from leaving the house and get into the pool area. A properly installed pool alarm can be a lifesaver, as it will tell you if someone comes into your pool.

No comments:

Post a Comment