According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the world's leading cause of unintentional death, with 372,000 drowning deaths reported annually.
The numbers are quite disturbing across demographic groups. Managing drowning accidents would require us to actively make safety a part of recreational swimming and competitive swimming.
In this blog post, we will explore actionable swimming pool safety tips for children and adults that will help reduce the risks of pool accidents drastically.
Pool Safety Tips for Children
Children require constant monitoring so they do not injure themselves. 69% of children who drowned had no business being near a pool at all. Here are some tips to make swimming safer for kids:
Secure the pool with barriers
Children are naturally restless. They always want to explore new things and create some entertainment for themselves. Hence, if you own a pool in a house with children or a house that children visit often, you should erect barriers around your pool to prevent kids from easily accessing it.
Designate a water watcher
Regardless of our best efforts, young children sometimes still engage in potentially harmful activities. Having someone around who is always on alert to watch the kids around water is very necessary. This is even more important when you have many kids interacting with one another.
Install anti-entrapment covers
An anti-entrapment pool cover is a pool fitting that protects swimmers from getting trapped below the pool's surface due to the recirculation system in the pool. This would help keep both children and adults safe while swimming. It is necessary to check the covers regularly to ensure they are still intact.
Always check the water
In case a child goes missing and there's a pool around, the best course of action is to check the water first. This helps you ascertain whether or not the child is in a pool. Doing otherwise leaves you at the risk of keeping the child in the water for a longer period, which might lead to their death.
Swim in designated areas
Swimming pools are built according to regulations and with safety in mind. Designated swimming areas are also more likely to have safety personnel. Other bodies of water, however, are controlled by elements of nature that can be unpredictable. To keep from getting hurt, you should always swim in a designated swimming area.
Do not leave a child unattended
Never leave a child unattended near or around a pool. These might give children the impression that they can do as they please, putting them in harm's way.
Get certified swimming coaches for your kids
Swimming is a necessary life skill that everyone must be taught, especially children. Also, it is easier to train a child to learn how to swim than an adult. Getting a certified swimming instructor for your child means that they are learning how to swim from well-trained people who will teach them to obey pool safety rules.
Dress up for safety
Safe swimming can also boil down to what you wear to swim. Avoid letting children swim in baggy or heavy clothes, as these might weigh them down. You should also avoid wearing jewelry, regular diapers or compression wear for your kids to swim in.
Reinforce safety training
Swimming pool safety tips should be reinforced regularly with kids. Find interesting ways to teach them safety at the pool. They will remember it more easily this way, and it will become a part of them over time.
Ensure everyone gets water competent
It is not just enough to learn how to swim; water competence is necessary as well. Water Safety USA, a long-time Pool Safely collaborator, defines "water competency" as the ability to anticipate, avoid, and survive common drowning situations, as well as recognize and assist those in need. It includes water skills, water smarts, and helping others. When everyone learns to be water competent, we can keep our kids safer.
Pool Safety Tips for Parents
It is primarily the parent's responsibility to enforce swimming pool safety tips in children. Hence, parents must also understand the safety rules they have to practice to protect themselves and their kids.
Be a good chaperone
When you have to watch a child while swimming, make sure you are actually watching them and not distracted by other adults around or your phone.
Discuss Drowning
Talk about drowning with your kids. Allow them to understand that water can be dangerous. Emphasize the dangers of going near water unsupervised. Do not sugarcoat things for them in the name of protecting them, you might end up doing the opposite.
Invest in water safety for your kids
Invest in water safety for your kids. Refrain from skimming on safety gear or fittings that might ensure the safety of your kids in the pool. Water safety is multi-dimensional. It covers even the kind of safety training you get yourself. Also, do not rely on floaties and other water toys to keep your children safe; those are just toys.
Make safety training your responsibility
The level of seriousness you give to your kids' swimming lessons and all things related will also influence their attitude towards them. Make sure your kids are getting their lessons as and when they're due and are not missing classes.
BMWemple - A Most Trusted Pool Builder and Maintenance in Oviedo, Fl
One important fact that should not be overlooked is how the safety of your pool depends on the quality of the materials used and the construction.
If you want the pool to be safe, then you should be careful about who you contract for the construction and maintenance of your pool.
Over the years, BMWemple has proven to be a trusted brand that puts safety above profits or anything else. Our pools stand the test of time and are built to comply with the utmost safety standards.
Protecting your kids in the pool starts with building them the right pool.
