Keeping Your Home Pool Safe

A swimming pool in your backyard can provide days of summer fun for you, your family, and friends. However, not following safety rules concerning your pool can lead to serious injuries and accidental drowning deaths.

Follow the American Red Cross recommendations below for a safe summer in your home pool:

Learn to swim.
Children should never be allowed in the pool unsupervised. An adult should be available to keep a constant eye on children playing in and around water.
Keep a telephone by the pool at all times so you can call 9-1-1 or other emergency personnel should the need arise.
Insist that people who care for your children in your absence know CPR. It is a good idea to post CPR instructions and emergency telephone numbers in the pool area.
Make sure your pool is enclosed. The Red Cross recommends a self-locking, self-closing fence that has vertical bars. The openings in the fence should be no more than four inches. If the back door of your house opens directly to the pool area, install alarms that sound when the door is opened, and keep the door locked at all times so you can control the people entering your pool area.
Anything that may be used by a child to climb your fence should be removed from the area.
Lifesaving equipment that should remain by the pool include a pole, rope, and a personal flotation device. Keep all toys away from the pool area when they are not being used. Small children may be tempted to try to get the toys and fall in the pool.
Do not leave the pool partially covered when it is in use.

If you discover a child is missing, you should go immediately to the pool area. Scan the entire pool area, including the surface of the pool, the bottom of the pool, and the surrounding deck and area. If the child is in the water, remove them immediately, call for help, check to see if the child is breathing, and begin lifesaving CPR until help arrives.