With summer just around the corner, swimming pool safety is more important than ever. Safety around the water is important for both adults and kids, so here are six reminders for a safe and fun time in the pool:
1. Keep your pool covered when not in use
A pool cover is one of the most important aspects of pool safety, though it’s often overlooked. It doesn’t matter whether you have a manual cover or an electric pool cover, the point is to keep debris out of your pool as much as possible.
The debris that falls in your pool can do more damage than just make the water dirty. Drains can get clogged, and certain types of damage might cause mechanical malfunction. Malfunctioning pool parts are a huge deal, which leads to the next reminder.
2. Keep up on maintenance year-round
Owning a pool is a big responsibility that requires keeping up on maintenance. Parts can malfunction and cause severe injury and even death. For example, some pool filters that use compressed air have been known to explode when a pressure valve fails. Exploding pool filters create dangerous shrapnel that cause serious injury and death.
Stay on top of pool filter recalls, and know when it’s time to replace or repair pool parts like motors and filters. Pool parts are easy to find online, but before you buy what you think you need, consult a professional first. Motors can usually be rebuilt several times before you need to replace them. Other parts can’t be rebuilt and must be replaced. If you’re using a dangerous filter, buy a safer option.
3. Keep all extension cords and other cords inside the house
It’s tempting to put your stereo by the side of the pool by running an extension cord through the house, but that’s asking for trouble. Water and electricity don’t mix. Anytime you have an appliance that’s plugged into the wall, there’s a live current. If that appliance falls into the water, that current is strong enough to kill a person.
In 2017, a 14-year old was electrocuted in the bathtub not long after sending a photo of her extension cord setup to a friend. She didn’t survive. Most people think electrocution can only happen if the device falls into the water, however, that’s not true. Officials say her phone never fell in the water. She was electrocuted when she touched frayed wires.
All it takes is one mistake. Someone might trip over the radio and cause it to fall into the pool while it’s still connected to the extension cord. Or, someone might grab the radio while still in the pool and touch exposed wires. It’s not worth the risk. If you want to play music by the pool, keep your music player as far away from the pool as possible, and make sure everyone knows to leave it alone.
4. Don’t charge your phone by the pool
In an age where people can’t be far from their phones, it’s important to remember not to charge your phone by the pool. The possibility of being electrocuted by grabbing a charging phone with wet hands is extremely high. While an unplugged phone is unlikely to cause electrocution, a phone that’s plugged in and charging carries a live current that has the potential to cause death.
5. Don’t push your friends into the pool
It’s fun to play around, but messing around by the pool can lead to serious injury. Don’t push your friends into the pool. They might lose their footing and fall in an unexpected direction and hit their head on the concrete, or fall on top of someone in the pool.
6. Don’t host parties with glass bottles around the pool
Prior to summer, you might host some parties near the pool. If you’re going to do that, make sure nobody brings glass bottles (beer, alcohol, etc.) to the party. While you’re not using the pool, broken glass isn’t a big deal. People will have shoes on, so if a few pieces are left behind after cleanup it won’t hurt anyone. However, when summer rolls around, people will be barefoot. If you’ve got leftover broken glass, someone’s going to step on it.
If it’s your pool, keep your eyes open
When hosting pool parties, keep your eyes on your guests. Stay alert to potential problems, and be willing to intervene when needed. It’s your house – you make the rules, inside and out.
Image Credits: Swimming Pool Safety from hxdbzxy /Shutterstock