How To Childproof Your Pool
The sunny US state of Florida is home to roughly 750,000 swimming pools. It is also where drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children 4 and younger. In a country that lists drowning as the most common cause of death for children under age 5, Florida carries the highest record of drowning incidents. Perhaps it is statistics like these that account for the growing popularity of baby swimming classes around the world. Parents head for enrollment as soon as the little ones learn to hold their head up.
Still, experts give no guarantees that early lessons will save a 14-month old that has just fallen into the water. Parents shouldn’t think that just because a kid can swim, he or she can be left alone in the pool.
Making the pool safe for your Children
The most effective deterrent to drowning is still constant adult supervision. The need for this is magnified a hundred times over in families that have their own pool at home. There is another line of defense that lowers the risk of pool-related accidents – childproofing. The trick is to make the pool area off limits to eager swimmers when a parent or any responsible adult is unavailable for lifeguard duty. There are several ways to achieve this.
1. Fence it in. Build a fence at least 5-feet high around the pool, or at least in areas with direct access to the pool. Avoid the chicken wire variety or designs that encourage climbing. Install a self-closing, self-latching gate, preferably one that only a grownup can open. Clear the fence area of objects a child can use to climb over it.
2. Cover it up. Invest in a cover that conceals the entire surface of the pool. You can probably have one custom-made by a tent manufacturer. Have metal eyelets installed along the sides of the cover and secure these with rope or clasp to the edges of the pool. Make sure the cover is secured tight over the pool to prevent a child from crawling under it and getting trapped.
3. Keep rescue gear handy. Store life preservers, kickboards, a rope, and a pole in a place that is easy to reach (but not by curious little hands).
4. Keep the pool toy-free. When not in use, the pool must be cleared of toys, floaters and other items that could draw children to the water.
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