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Avoiding Swimming Pool Hazards around Children
by Carl Pensington
http://www.flxpool.com
Now that the warm weather is upon us, those who own a
swimming pool, or are thinking of having one installed,
should probably review the basic safety procedures that are
designed to keep children from becoming the victims of a
water tragedy. It only takes a moment for something to go
wrong, and this often happens when those who are designated
to supervise the children around the swimming pool become
too lax in their approach to safety. This is a common
hazard among those whose families are used to having ready
access to a pool, adults sometimes get comfortable with
the routine and aren't alert enough to potential problems.
Many children lose their lives each year because they are
left alone near a swimming pool. Even children who are not
toddlers should not be left alone. If the phone rings or
someone knocks at the door, resist your first impluse to
respond to their summons; nothing is more important
than the safety of your children. If you leave them alone
at the side of the pool, even if only for a moment, to
attend to some other matter, you are endangering their
lives. There should be no thought whatsoever about which
is more important.
If you absolutely have to answer your phone while you are
spending time by the pool with the kids, go for the extra
trouble and have a phone installed near the pool. Or, buy
a portable phone and keep it with you near the pool. Think
twice about answering the front door, just yell for them to
come to the back. The same applies if a neighbor calls you
over to their yard or over the fence.You should never leave
your children unattended at the pool. In case of an
emergency, just take the children out of the pool and bring
them along with you if you need to step away and there is
no other adult to watch them for you.
A swimming pool should always be separated from the house
by a fence, and some towns are now even making that a law.
The fence needs to be at least 4 feet in height and must
enclose the entire pool area. Too many tragedies have
occurred when toddlers wander away from the house and
fall into the pool. To prevent this, the gate to the pool
must be self-closing and the self-latching system must be
beyond the reach of young children. You should also have
proper rescue equipment , such as a life preserver and a
hooked tool that will aid in retrieval.
When youngsters are in the pool, be sure that they have
approved life vests rather than pool toys or safety gear
that requires you to fill them with air. These can
puncture and can put the children's lives in jeopardy,
possibly causing them to drown before help can arrive.
Distance is a factor, too, and the general rule of thumb is
to always stay within an arm's length of children who are
in or near the pool. Once they've finished playing in the
water, don't make the mistake of leaving toys in or around
the area, since young children find these a great
temptation and often try to retrieve them, putting
themselves in danger, in the process.
Unless there's an adult who knows how to perform CPR, they
shouldn't be given the responsibility of supervising
children in a pool environment. Instructional classes are
available to everyone in most communities and should be
taken advantage of before the swimming season begins. With
that done, and the other safety procedures put into place,
your kids will be sure to have a safe, fun summer
experience.
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