When it comes to pools and summer activities, it’s easy to get excited and forget about certain precautions you should be taking. Safety should always come first. Since June is National Safety Month, we’ve rounded up some pool safety tips so this summer can be safe and fun for everyone.
1. Supervise children and friends
One of the best parts of the summer is being able to watch friends and family happily splash around in the pool. It’s important to keep a watchful eye on kids playing in the water. Children between the ages of one and four are at the highest risk for drowning-related incidents.
To prevent this, never leave kids unattended by the pool and teach them safe ways to play with water. Pool-related injuries are not just restricted to children, so watch out for your adult friends, too.
2. Use a drain grate
A drain grate is a necessity in every pool and spa. You might notice one on the bottom of your private pool or in a few different places in your local public pool. The public pool you attend is required to have drain grates to ensure that the pool will not start draining while people are swimming in it. However, if something seems fishy, report it immediately. The suction from a pool or spa drain is strong enough to trap an adult, so drain grates must remain intact at all times.
3. Take a CPR class
CPR is a great skill for anyone to have. If you’ve ever worked at a camp or school, you most likely took a CPR class and picked up a few basic skills. If you have private pool, you might not be able to get the help you need right away when there’s an emergency. Learning CPR allows you to aid a situation until proper medical care can be administered. You can take a class at your local Red Cross or a similar facility in order to become certified.
4. Check your chlorine levels
You’ve probably seen the lifeguard at your local pool do a chlorine test. Chlorine is in the pool to sanitize the water. However, chlorine does not always kill germs immediately. Some germs can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to die. When germs are not killed and a person ingests the water, they might end up with a Recreational Water Illness (RWI). RWIs are caused by germs or chemicals in recreational swimming water. To avoid this, make sure the water you are swimming in is safe. If you’re unsure, avoid swallowing the water.
5. Teach your child how to swim
Teaching your child how to swim can be a great bonding experience for both of you. Swimming is fun for the kids and a great form of exercise. Children who can swim are also less likely to get injured when playing in the pool. You can teach your child to swim on your own, or enlist the help of your local YMCA or swimming facility. Grab those water wings and get to it!
Swimming can be a blast as long as you’re being safe. When you use these safety tips, you’re creating a safe environment for the people around you. Educate your loved ones on pool safety so everyone can have a fun and safe summer!
