Never ever leave a child alone in or near a pool for any amount of time. It only takes an instant for an accident to happen. Even if a child can swim or has taken swimming lessons they can still be at risk of drowning. Never allow horseplay or dunking in your pool. Emphasis should be placed on safety while still allowing all pool participants to enjoy water activities.
Always have rescue equipment readily available in the event it is needed quickly. Gear such as lifejackets, lifesaving rings, or a shepherd's hook may be useful to assist in a rescue attempt. Inflatable devices are not recommended, as they are not a substitute for approved lifesaving devices. These air-filled items may actually be dangerous if not properly used and maintained. It is also a good idea to keep a phone and emergency numbers close to the pool area.
Remove all items, toys, and rafts from the pool once you have finished use. Do not leave temptations floating in the pool for children who may want to retrieve them later without your knowledge. Once everyone leaves the pool an adult should secure the area to prevent a child from returning without adult supervision. For in-ground pools, this may mean locking doors, securing fence gates or enabling door alarms in the house. For above-ground pools this may include removing ladders and/or securing pool covers.
Simenc reminds everyone that "pools are a great water feature in a yard, but (you should) take the approach of utilizing multiple barriers to prevent a child from gaining access to the water". Pools, ponds, hot tubs, and clay ponds all warrant the same level of protection. "When I say barrier," he adds, "I'm talking about things like rigid pool covers, safety pool fencing, and additional hardware devices mounted on the doors and windows leading from house to the pool. All are appropriate methods of deterrence, but using multiple levels of deterrence is necessary to keep children safe." Barriers are not childproof by any means and should not be relied on exclusively. They do, however, hinder the child in a way that allows a parent or caregiver more time to notice that the child has wandered off from supervision. Some common barriers include fences, gates, alarm systems, and pool safety covers.
Fences should completely encircle any pool area and be secured with a gate or door alarm. An alarm will alert adults if a child attempts to leave the house and enter the pool area alone. The recommended specifications given by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states, "A fence or other barrier should be at least four feet high. It should have no foot or handholds that could help a young child to climb it." The CPSC also suggests, "Vertical fence slats should be no more than four inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through. If the fence is chain link, then no part of the diamond shaped opening should be larger than 1 ¾ inches. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching." Never leave a fence or gate that leads to a pool area propped open. Fences and gates should be well maintained for maximum safety and latches should be well out of the reach of children.
Door alarms are useful in alerting adults that a child may be leaving the house and attempting to gain access to a pool area. The alarms only work, however, if they are properly installed and used as recommended. These alarms are affordable, fairly easy to install and use, and do add a sense of security to parents of wandering children. Most have a convenient feature that allows an adult to temporarily turn the alarm off for a single opening of the door by using a keypad that is well out of the reach of young hands.
The CPSC advises, "Power safety covers over the pool may be used as an alternative to door alarms. A power safety cover should meet the requirements of the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) that addresses labeling requirements and performance. The ASTM requires that a cover withstand the weight of two adults and one child to allow a rescue should an individual fall onto the cover. The standard also requires quick removal of water from the cover. A power safety cover is a motor powered barrier that can be placed over the water area. Motor-driven covers easily open and close over the pool. When the power safety cover is properly in place over the pool, it provides a high level of safety for children under five years old by inhibiting their access to the water."
Another risk or hazard that a pool presents to children and adults is the entrapment of hair in drain covers. If a person's hair gets trapped in a suction fitting of a drain, the hair could be drawn into the drain causing their head to be pulled under the water. This is more of a risk to individuals with hair longer than shoulder length. Extra concern and or the use of bathing caps may prevent such an accident.
It is important to instruct babysitters or visitors in your home about the potential hazards your pool may present. You can instruct them on the use of protective devices and advise them that constant supervision of young children is required at all times. It is also a very good idea that someone in your household be trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). If you have a regular caregiver or babysitter you may want to have that person receive CPR training as well.
