Pool Safety Tips

Underwriters Laboratories recommends the following pool safety tips:

• Always check the pool first if a child is missing.



• Ensure the pool is in plain sight from the house. Remove any vegetation or objects that obstruct a clear view to the pool.



• Always supervise young children including those who have had swimming lessons.



• Recognize that inflatable swimming aids are not safety devices. They are toys and can easily puncture and deflate.



• Remove all toys when you leave the pool. Toys may attract children to the unattended pool.



• Learn infant and child CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and give your children swimming lessons.



• Keep rescue devices, such as life preservers, at poolside.



• Always drain wading pools and turn them over after children are done playing. Infants can drown in just a few inches of water.



• Keep a telephone nearby and have appropriate emergency numbers posted.

UL safety experts also recommend erecting multiple barriers of protection between children and pools to make sure the pool is inaccessible when not in use.

• Erect a fence that is at least 4-foot high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Place the a locking mechanism beyond a child's reach. The fence should completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard.



• Cut overhanging tree limbs and remove chairs or ladders from the area to prevent children from climbing over the fence surrounding the pool. For above-ground pools, remove ladders and portable steps.



• Install a power safety cover for an in-ground pool.



• Install a motion sensor and gate alarm with piercing sounds to alert you to anyone approaching or jumping into the pool.