Owning a backyard pool is great for fun and fitness, especially in our hot Australian climate. However, if you fail to take proper precautions, your pool could become a serious safety hazard for you and your family. Swimming pools are the leading cause of drowning in young children, with a lack of supervision, inadequate fencing and insufficient swimming skills often contributing to the tragedy. With pool heating options making swimming into a year-round activity, it’s important you brush up on your knowledge. We’ve created this list of our top pool safety tips to help you protect your family.
Safe and Secure Fencing
Installing a fence is the best safety measure you can take to prevent drownings from occurring in your backyard pool. A proper fence will keep children from entering your pool area without an adult around to supervise. Fences should be self-closing, self-latching and tall enough to prevent little ones from letting themselves in. Keep climbable objects like furniture, BBQs or play equipment far away from your fence. Always pack away pool toys to reduce the risk of temptation. These are simple, but incredibly important measures you can take to ensure your children only swim when supervised.
Constant Supervision
Whether they’re splashing in the water or playing by the poolside, you should never take your eyes off children around water. Even if you’re confident in your child’s swimming ability, accidents can happen at any time, so it’s absolutely crucial that you remain vigilant. This means actively supervising swimming children rather than just the occasional glance. Better yet, why not enjoy a swim with the kids? If you’re hosting friends or family, adults can take turns as pool guards. This way, no one misses out on the fun and your pool remains safe and secure.
Brush Up on First Aid Skills
If you’re a pool owner, it’s important that you know what to do in an emergency. Drowning is always a risk with pools, and slippery surfaces are a major slipping hazard. First aid training is a great idea for anyone with a backyard pool. Basic training can be completed in a single day, and there are evening classes available. Training sessions are often run in community halls, schools or libraries, so you should be able to book into a class near you. If you’ve completed first aid training in the past, you could be due for a refresher course.
Set Strict Pool Rules
It’s important that all pool users, including children, take pool safety seriously. Setting clear pool rules is a great way to ensure everyone remains safe around the water. Sit down as a family and draw up a list of official pool rules such as no running by the pool, no pushing people into the water or no diving. You may even want to implement consequences, like pool bans or time outs, for anyone who breaks the pool rules.
Pool Heating Options
If your family loves to swim, consider installing a pool heating system so you can enjoy your pool all year round. Australian Energy Systems provides pool heating, pool heat pumps and solar pool heating supplies. Call us on 1800 243 847, or contact us online for more information about our wide range of pool heating solutions, as well as our pool covers.
