If you have kids, there are some fundamentals that you need to know regarding pool safety. In fact, this is the underlying mission behind the Pool Troopers Pool Watchers Program, which aims to keep kids safe in and around the water. We encourage parents to play an active role in safeguarding loved ones by heeding some simple tips and being vigilant in reinforcing pool rules. If you live in Florida, Texas, or Arizona, call on the team at Pool Troopers to keep your pool water clean, clear, and chemically balanced – another key component of keeping it safe for those that you love.
Pool Watchers Program
The Pool Troopers Pool Watchers program is part of a larger National Pool Watcher Program that focuses on being undistracted pool waters to prevent pool related accidents and injuries involving children. Children often drown silently, often as parents look on, and it is estimated that around 300 kids under the age of five drown in pool accidents each year in the US. Some of the missions of this program include teaching how to be an undistracted pool watcher, as well as preventing access to the pool to children. It is recommended that owners install fencing that is at least four-feet high to keep clever and crafty kids out.
The Pool Watchers Program provides a free laminated badge to each participant to demonstrate vigilance and care for pool safety to others. For young children, this may be a powerful reminder and reinforcement to observe pool safety rules put in place by parents and caregivers. Most pool accidents and subsequent fatalities are 100% preventable; this program strives to teach owners ways to prevent these situations in their own pool.
Safety Tips
You cannot overestimate the importance of sharing and discussing pool safety tips with all members of the family, as well as anyone who regularly visits or swims in your pool. Some Safety Tips have set legal precedents, including The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act. This legislation served as the impetus for the Pool Safely campaign, which helps spread awareness about the dangers of pools. It is named for a seven-year-old girl, Virginia Graeme Baker, who was trapped by the suction from her family’s hot-tub drain and drowned. Some of the safety benchmarks endorsed by the Pool Safely campaign include the following:
– Never leave a child in or near the pool unattended. In the blink of an eye, a child can drown. According to experts, a child can drown without ever calling for help or making a commotion. Prevent tragedy and take the pledge to always supervise children in your pool with an attentive eye.
– Prepare your children. The best way to keep kids safe is to arm them with the knowledge that they need for staying safe near the water, which means teaching them how to swim. Want to brush up on your own swimming skills? You are never too old to learn or relearn basic swim strokes.
– Avoid drains of all kinds. Teach your children to steer clear of drains in the pool or spa; they are simply not safe. The suction can be strong and catch kids clothing, hair, or jewelry. Also, keep drains adequately covered and clearly marked. In fact, make a commitment to never swim in a pool that does not have compliant drain covers.
– Create a barricade. Barricade your pool and prevent access with fencing, a cover, and an alarm system that will notify you if the barrier has been breached. It only takes a moment for a fatal accident to occur; prevent a senseless tragedy by making your pool area inaccessible to children and pets.
– Do you know CPR or First Aid? Now is the time to learn. In fact, it is a great time for the whole family to become CPR certified, and it could save a life. Learn the different approaches for adults and kids, as well as for pets, too!
– Commit to Safety. Take the pledge promoted by the Pool Safely campaign and strive to implement these tips to create a safer environment for children. You must be vigilant and not let down your guard when it comes to pool safety; as demonstrated, it only takes a moment for a regrettable incident to occur. Do not let your summertime fun turn to tragedy; pay heed to these tips and strive to maintain as safe a pool possible. Implement your own guidelines for keeping kids safe, such as a buddy system or locking gate, at your own home pool.
Through education and dissemination of information, this campaign strives to prevent pool accidents- particularly involving children. Remember: it is never safe to leave a child unattended by or near a swimming pool.
Proper Pool Maintenance
Dirty or poorly treated pools present safety risks that can include transmission of disease. During this time when most Americans are focused on the pandemic, sanitization is more important than ever before. It makes sense to abide by and follow the same safety suggestions and maintenance protocols for your pool that municipal officials use when Operating Public Swimming Pools and spas.
Since you probably will not have staff to oversee who and what finds its way in the pool, you will need to remind and reinforce a few basics to ensure nobody gets sick from swimming in your pool. First, if you or your pool guests are not feeling well, stay out of the water; if you are suffering with a stomach bug, most-definitely stay out of the water. Germs and bacteria can rapidly spread in a pool- in other words, whatever you have, everyone else will soon have, too. Treating the pool with chlorine shock can help sanitize when someone has been swimming that may have been ill, or after storms and periods of foul weather.
Shocking prevents algae, which is not only unpleasant to swim around, but that can be a slippery safety risk in its own right. Chlorine shock should help prevent the spread of algae; brush the pool sides and surfaces with a pool brush to remove stubborn spots.
Also, implement a system for cleaning both before and after entering the pool. This may be a shower or foot wash station that swimmers use to keep dirt and debris out of the water. When you mandate that the swimmers are clean when they get in the water, your pool will remain cleaner longer, too. This equates to a safer and healthier swim environment for you, your family, and guests. Keep a net nearby and frequently scoop debris and skim the surface of the water to maintain a cleaner, clearer pool.
Got a pool? If you have a pool and live in Florida, Texas, or Arizona, join our Pool Troopers Pool Watchers Program. Make sure that your pool is as safe as it can be, and that you share safety tips and insight with others, too. Show children the proper and safe way to use the pool and learn first aid right away. Remember also that part of keeping your pool safe is to maintain it with regular cleaning and treatment. For any and all of your pool maintenance needs, call the team at Pool Troopers today!
