Essential Pool Safety Tips for a Safe Summer Season

Summertime in California is special. Long days at the beach and afternoons relaxing by the pool. No wonder so many people come to live in sunny California. If you own a pool or plan to spend some significant time around the pool, it’s a good time to brush up on some pool safety tips. You can never be over-prepared when it comes to your family’s safety.

How important is pool safety?

According to the website, Pool Safely, the CDC reports that drowning is the #1 cause of unintentional death for young children. In fact, between the years 2011 and 2013, for children from infant to 14 years of age, there were an average of 390 drowning deaths. That’s way too many. Moreover, the State of California had the highest incidence of death as reported by USA Swimming.

When you installed your pool, your plan was to have fun, build family memories, and enjoy the sunshine. Injury or drowning was not in the plan. So, to help make sure you and your family remain safe this summer, we’ve put together these pool safety tips.

Pool Safety Tips: Poolside supervision and safety equipment

• You want to prevent easy access to your pool when there isn’t adequate supervision. To keep others from getting into your pool without your understanding, make sure you have a secure fence with a locking entrance. The fencing should surround the pool and deck area and it should have self-closing and self-latching gates.
• Equip your door, gate, or pool with an audible alarm to alert you if someone enters the pool area or falls into the pool while it is unattended.
• Never leave young children unattended in the water. In fact, you shouldn’t leave them alone in the pool area. All less experienced swimmers should be accompanied by a summer who has life-saving skills. It is even good to set a rule that no one swims alone.
• Diving should be prohibited unless a specific area of the pool is designated for safe diving. Water depth and diving-restricted areas should be clearly marked.
• Make sure there is adequate life-saving equipment in the pool area, including life preservers and a rope with life-saving rings, a reaching pole, or a rescue hook.

Pool Safety Tips: Pool maintenance

• Keep chemicals safely stored away from the pool area. Follow all storage and usage instructions recommended by the pool chemical manufacturer.
• Be sure electrical devices, including outdoor entertainment systems, are away from pools or wet surfaces. When using electrical devices outdoors be sure to plug them into a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter). Keep the pool area clear of glass bottles, toys, or other potential accident hazards.
• Inspect the liner. Rips and tears can appear undetected at the top of the lining.  Check for signs of wear and tear in areas where pipes or other items may have penetrated the liner (e.g., skimmers, hoses, etc.).
• For above-ground pools, check metal supports for rust or deterioration. These may indicate areas where the pool could rupture or a person could be injured.
• Check the deck for safety hazards (e.g., protruding nails, loose boards, etc.).
• Ensure your pool has compliant anti-entrapment drain covers. Inspect them regularly to confirm they are not broken or missing. Visit the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act) for additional information.  This act applies to all outdoor and indoor structures intended for swimming or recreational bathing, including in-ground and above-ground pools, hot tubs, spas, whirlpools, and non-portable wading pools.

The bottom line

If you have a pool, keep this summer season safe and make good use of these pool safety tips.

You’ll also feel great because you will have made your homeowner’s insurance agent happy with the knowledge you’re practicing good pool safety. If you are considering a change in home insurance, contact us, or start a quote online.