Swimming Pool Safety

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Swimming Pool Safety

Adding as many water safety steps as possible is the best way to assure a safe and fun experience in a residential swimming pool or spa. Parents and families can build on their current safety practices by adopting water safety steps at home pools and spas.

Create a Pool Safety Toolkit for Your Home Pool or Spa

Drownings are a preventable cause of death and injury for children. By putting proven safety behaviors and systems into practice, you and your family will be much more secure in and around public and residential pools.

CPSC recommends that you create a pool safety toolkit to have near your pool or spa to ensure that if the worst happens, you are ready to respond.

What should be in a pool safety toolkit for your home pool or spa?

*A first aid kit

*A pair of scissors to cut hair, clothing or a pool cover, if needed

*A charged portable telephone to call 911

*A flotation device

These are safety steps you can adopt at your residential pool or spa:

Staying Close, Being Alert and Watching Children in and Around the Pool

*Always watch your children when they are in or near a pool or spa

*Teach children basic water safety tips

*Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments

*Have a portable telephone close by at all times when you or your family are using

a pool or spa

*If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first

*Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors

Learning and Practicing Water Safety Skills

*Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim

*Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly

*Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency

Having the Appropriate Equipment for Your Pool or Spa

*Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing

and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.

*Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.

*If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door

alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards

on windows facing pools or spas.

*Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water

*Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your

pool service provider if you do not know

*Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order

*Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm