You must not rely on one method of baby proofing your pool area to keep your child safe. The more levels of safety employed, the more likely your child will remain safe.
Rule number one is to always have an adult supervising. Never assume someone else is watching the children. Establish who is in charge.
The first issue will be in guarding the child by having a fence to enclose the pool completely on all sides. It is recommended that the fence be at least 4 feet high with no openings larger than 1 3/4 inches wide. The fence should have a gate that is self-closing and self-locking. The lock should be well above a child's reach. The mechanism should be checked daily. Keep all furniture, toys or anything else away from the fence, or else children may be able to climb over using these items. Also, keep the pool ladder stored safely away or locked.
A pool cover, even a power one, has limits and cannot be relied upon alone to keep a child safe. Never leave a cover partially on, as a child can become trapped underneath it.
Pool and door alarms are good as back up safety devices, but never as first-line defense in keeping children safe. If alarms are used, make certain that children cannot reach them to turn them off, and that the batteries or wiring work properly. Again, never rely solely on alarms to keep children safe.
Don't confuse inflatable floating devices for life vests. They are not the same thing.
Keep rescue equipment on hand at all times, such as life vests, shepherd hooks, emergency numbers posted or on speed dial, and a cordless phone nearby.
Remove toys from the area after playtime in the pool has ended. Children frequently fall into the water trying to retrieve toys that are floating near the edge of a pool.
Swimming lessons are wonderful for children, but never believe a child to be drownproof. It isn't true. Also, don't underestimate your child's reach or capability. Toddlers in particular can accomplish new feats daily that might surprise you.
"Also, one of the most important things a parent can do is take a CPR class. The different levels of protection don't provide all the protection that you need. A parent you need to be able to deal with those [emergencies] quickly and effectively. That's what you learn in a basic life-support class offered through the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. You learn how to deal with those emergencies. Again, nothing is a 100%.You are creating levels of protection to slow down the child so that you can get to him or her."
