It’s May and National Water Safety Month is here again. This annual event is designed to raise awareness of how important safety is when having fun in an inground pool or with any water activity. And with more people choosing to stay home due to COVID-19, use of inground pools is likely to be high, with the start of the pool season and Memorial Day just a few short weeks away. To keep you and your family safe, here are a few important pool safety tips courtesy of the Red Cross:
- Install and use barriers around your home pool or spa
- Actively supervise children in or around the water
- Always stay within arm’s reach of young children and avoid distractions
- Reach or throw aid to distressed swimmers — don’t go!
- Keep toys not in use away from the pool and out of sight.
And here are some other tips from safety experts on the Web:
- Enroll children in swimming lessons – survival classes can start as early as six months old
- Appoint a designated pool watcher to keep an eye on swimmers at all times
- Learn CPR and keep emergency phone numbers posted in the pool area
- Never swim alone, this means adults too
- Don’t leave anything near the barriers around the pool that children could use to climb over and gain access
- Don’t use a pool or spa while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The National Water Safety Month website has other great resources and you can also download this resource guide from the National Swimming Pool Foundation. Also check out our post here for COVID-19 safety and sanitation tips from the Florida Pool Service Association.
In the meantime, see below for how you can become a pool watcher!
