Preparing for Pool Safety

According to the American Red Cross, the majority of children who drown in pools today were unsupervised and not expected to be in or around the pool in the first place. Correct supervision and pool access can be carried out by a responsible adult but there are always those times that children will explore and push boundaries and inevitably find themselves out of the sight of an adult. That is why it has become generally accepted and even part of many city codes that swimming pools be outfitted with a series of security protocols to ensure that children do not end up by the water and unattended. Here are a few safety devices on the market today that can help make any pool secure:

Self closing and Self latching doors

All doors with access to the swimming area should be self-closing and self-latching. Door Closing Systems offers a patented self-closing system for sliding doors called the Ultra Glide. It provides security and energy efficiency for any outdoor facing sliding door. There are also several options on the market for non-swinging doors like spring hinges and hydraulic swing arms.

Pool Alarms

This safety mechanism can be installed on all doors with access to the swimming area. They are meant to stay on at all times so that an adult can always be notified when someone in the household is accessing the area of the yard where the pool is located.

Fences and Gates

While these might not be foolproof, they do provide an extra barrier between the outside world and the pool that is especially effective at preventing young children from accessing the water while unattended. It is absolutely important that all gates are self-latching and self-closing so that they swing closed every time.

Window Locks

Many cities require that windows with locks below 54” from the ground that are facing a pool, be outfitted with stoppers that prevent them from opening more than 4”.

Devices and fences alone will not make the pool safe. It is important that all people, children and adults, that enter a pool are taught how to swim well, refrain from swimming alone, and do not attempt to dive into pools that do not meet the appropriate safety standards. It is also essential that all pools have and post an emergency response protocol and that all supervising adults consider getting first aid and CPR training. Pools are wonderful and fun places where many summer memories are made, so make sure to add safety to this years preparations so that all of those memories are good ones.