Swimming pool safety measures
Safety is not just for kids; SAFETY is for EVERYBODY in and around the pool.
The following are the recommendations or key parameters that typically contribute to child drowning in swimming pools. These are the minimum steps you can take to make your pool a safe place for your child. Barriers don’t guarantee full layer protection for a child but provide layers of protection for a child who strays from supervision. Barriers give parents additional time to locate a child before the unexpected becomes a reality.
Barriers include a fence or wall, door alarms for the house, and a power safety cover over the pool. Barriers also may be used to protect children from accessing hot tubs and spas. Use the following recommendations as a guide:
FENCES & GATES
Install a fence or other barrier, such as a wall, completely around the pool. If the house is part of the barrier, the doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with an alarm or the pool should have a power safety cover.
The fence or other barrier should be at least 4 feet high. It should have no foot- or handholds that could help a young child to climb it.
Vertical fence slats should be less than 4 inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through.
Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The gate should be well maintained to close and latch easily. The latch should be out of a child’s reach.
