{"id":741,"date":"2018-08-08T13:27:55","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T13:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/?p=741"},"modified":"2018-08-08T13:29:20","modified_gmt":"2018-08-08T13:29:20","slug":"741","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/?p=741","title":{"rendered":"The Installation Of An Aluminum Pool Fence and Gate Can Assist With Your Swimming Pools Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
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10 tips to keep your swimming pool safe this summer<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n(Sakkmesterke\/Alamy)<\/span><\/div>\n
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By\u00a0<\/span>Daniel Bortz<\/span>July 10<\/span><\/div>\n

On a sizzling summer day, there\u2019s nothing better than taking a refreshing dip in a swimming pool. But that private oasis in your backyard can be a big safety hazard for kids.<\/p>\n

More than 3,700 people drowned in the United States in 2016, the National Safety Council (NSC)\u00a0reports<\/a>. Drowning deaths are particularly prevalent among babies and toddlers. Drowning was the leading cause of preventable death for 1- to 4-year-olds in\u00a02016.<\/p>\n

Here are precautions you can take to protect your children while still letting them have fun in the pool this summer.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Build a pool fence<\/b><\/div>\n

Becky Turpin, director of home and community safety at the NSC, says the best safety measure homeowners can take is to install a fence around their pool<\/a>. This forms a barrier that will keep kids out of the water when you\u2019re not outside to supervise them. Fence gates<\/a> should open outward, away from the pool area, and be self-closing and self-latching, Turpin says.<\/p>\n

Although there\u2019s no federal pool-fence law, a number of cities and states have enacted their own laws that spell out fence requirements, such as minimum fence height and other specifications. For example, in\u00a0Montgomery County<\/a>, any private swimming pool that\u2019s more than 18 inches deep must be enclosed by a fence or wall that\u2019s at least five feet high. But Mark Montegani, owner of Pool Heaven in Huntington Beach, Calif., recommends a fence of six feet or higher. \u201cThere is always potential for a child to move objects and climb over the fence, so I say the taller, the better,\u201d Montegani says.<\/p>\n

Have an aboveground pool? Enclose the steps or ladder to the pool with a fence.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Install an alarm system<\/b><\/div>\n

Want to add an extra layer of protection to keep kids out of the water when you\u2019re not around? Install alarms that alert you when gates to the pool are opened. Also, consider buying an underwater swimming pool alarm system such as the Pool Patrol Model PA-30 ($234.95 on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>), which uses motion sensors to detect wave activity and alert you when anyone jumps or falls into the pool.<\/p>\n

Pool alarm systems are so effective that some states, such as Tennessee, require homeowners to install them when building a pool.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Ditch the diving board<\/b><\/div>\n

\u201cDiving boards are huge culprits for pool injuries,\u201d Montegani warns. \u201cEven if you know how to dive, you can easily slip off the board and hit your head.\u201d Consequently, Montegani advises homeowners to remove diving boards from their pools. Swimming pool slides are also safety hazards to consider taking down.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Have rescue equipment
\nand a first aid kit nearby<\/b><\/div>\n

Make sure you have a life ring, rescue tube or life hook (also called a shepherd\u2019s hook) that you can use to pull someone from the water to safety. This rescue equipment should be stored near the pool in a clearly marked and accessible area, and periodically checked to make sure it\u2019s in good condition, according to the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. You\u2019ll also want to have a first aid kit on hand that\u2019s stocked with all essentials.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Inspect the pool area daily
\nfor slip hazards<\/b><\/div>\n

Kids (and adults) can trip on objects and fall into the water if these items are left near the edge of the pool. Make sure floats, tubes, toys and cleaning equipment are stored away from the water when they\u2019re not in use.<\/p>\n

Store chemicals safely<\/b><\/div>\n

Pool chemicals help protect swimmers by killing disease-causing germs in the water, but they can also lead to injury when mixed\u00ad improperly or not handled using protective gear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That\u2019s why Montegani says pool chemicals should always be stored out of reach in a locked, well-ventilated area.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Inspect drain covers<\/b><\/div>\n

Drain covers can be death traps \u2014 literally. After a 7-year-old girl drowned because of the suction pressure from an underwater drain in a hot tub, Congress passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act in 2007 to provide basic safety standards for the nation\u2019s public pools. Although the law doesn\u2019t apply to residential pools, your drain covers \u201cshould be rounded covers, and there should be no cracks or missing screws,\u201d Turpin says.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Learn CPR<\/b><\/div>\n

Adults who have private swimming pools should be trained in CPR, Turpin says. A number of organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses. (Note: There are CPR classes online, but you\u2019ll want to take a course in person to learn how to properly administer this lifesaving procedure.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Set pool rules<\/b><\/div>\n

Educate your loved ones on what pool conduct is and is not acceptable. You might even create a list of \u201cofficial\u201d pool rules that includes these basic instructions:<\/p>\n

\u25cfDon\u2019t run on the pool deck<\/p>\n

\u25cfDon\u2019t dive into shallow water<\/p>\n

\u25cfDon\u2019t push anyone into the pool<\/p>\n

\u25cfDon\u2019t swim without an adult present<\/p>\n

\u25cfDon\u2019t dunk or hold anyone \u00adunderwater<\/p>\n

\u00a0Teach kids how to swim<\/b><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never too early or too late to learn how to swim,\u201d Turpin says. Many swimming classes are offered year-round. (Private lessons are worth the investment if your kid has trouble learning how to swim.) \u201cKnowing how to swim doesn\u2019t make someone drown-proof,\u201d Turpin says, \u201cbut it\u2019s an important skill that helps keep you safe when you\u2019re in the\u00a0water.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

Original Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/lifestyle\/home\/10-tips-to-keep-your-swimming-pool-safe-this-summer\/2018\/07\/09\/f15c485c-7f03-11e8-b660-4d0f9f0351f1_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5abbf409ae93<\/a><\/p>\n

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10 tips to keep your swimming pool safe this summer (Sakkmesterke\/Alamy) By\u00a0Daniel BortzJuly 10 On a sizzling summer day, there\u2019s nothing better than taking a refreshing dip in a swimming pool. But that private oasis in your backyard can be a big safety hazard for kids. More than 3,700 people drowned in the United States […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[66,69,3],"tags":[67,68],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=741"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":744,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741\/revisions\/744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ifenceusa.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}