Now that summer is here and it’s finally warm enough to take a dive in the pool with your family, it is important to take the time to ensure that you have a safe swimming environment. While it’s fun to swim and play games in the pool, it can still be a very dangerous area to be in if you don’t take the necessary precautions to prevent injuries and drownings.
According to the National Safety Council, more than 3,700 people drowned in the U.S. in 2016. Drowning deaths increase during the summer months across all age groups, though babies and toddlers are at the highest risk for drowning. Sadly, drowning is the leading cause of preventable death, with 463 children dying from drowning accidents in 2016.
It is crucial for parents and children to be up to date on all of the most recent safety suggestions for swimming and drowning prevention. In this blog, we tell you how stay safe in the swimming pool this summer.
Safety Tips for Your Swimming Pool
These following safety tips can help to keep you and your family safe when you go swimming this summer:
- Sign your children up for swimming lessons
- Never let you children swim alone and teach them to use “the buddy system”
- If you have young children, always keep a close eye on them
- Have a first-aid-kit near your pool in case anyone suffers an injury while swimming
- A telephone and safety gear should be kept close to the pool in case of an emergency
- Keep small children within arm’s length whenever they are in the pool
- Don’t leave a child unattended near a pool, even if they are not actually swimming
- Use 5 ft. fencing to mark off the area around your pool
- Get self-closing or self-latching gates so that small children can’t get into the pool area
- Do not swim in your pool if it has flat, broken, or missing drain covers
- Get you and your family CPR Certified, or take some other type of rescue training course
- Inform your children about the dangers of ingesting pool water
- Take a shower after you go swimming
- Make sure all of the chemical levels, circulation, and filtration systems are in order before you go for a swim
- Designate a responsible person to watch young children in the pool at large gatherings
Remember, drowning is a silent death that often goes unnoticed unless there is someone nearby. Teach your kids early on about the dangers of downing and have established guidelines for acceptable pool behavior. This can deter your children from engaging in pool activities that might put them at risk for drowning.
At Fowler | Helsel | Vogt, we are committed to helping our clients pursue compensation for their personal injuries. If you or a loved on was injured in a swimming pool accident, you have the right to take legal action. Call (559) 900-1280 to set up your free consultation with our Fresno swimming pool accident lawyers.