Patio Furniture and More

Swimming pools can be a great source of fun and enjoyment but pool owners must always keep certain safety issues in mind, especially if there are children in the area. Remember, just because you don’t have kids yourself doesn’t mean that children can’t wander into your yard and fall into your pool. And while most pool safety tips revolve around protecting children, adults are at risk, too.

Below are some general tips for practicing good pool safety:

• Never leave children unsupervised when near a pool. Flotation devices aren’t a substitute for supervision, nor are swimming lessons. If a babysitter or family member will be watching your children, make sure they understand proper pool safety.

• Fence the entire perimeter of your pool and install self-closing and self-latching gates, on both the pool fence and on any gates or access points to your backyard as a whole (assuming your pool is in the backyard).

• Remove any trees or patio furniture that are close to the fence to prevent children from climbing them and entering the pool area. Assume that your pool is a magnet for kids and that they’ll do anything within their means to get into it.

• Always completely remove the pool cover when using the pool, as swimmers can become tangled in a pool cover that is still partially covering the pool.

• Learn CPR and always have rescue equipment next to the pool. If you’re going to be watching children by the pool, make sure you either have your cell phone handy or a portable phone, so that you can take calls without leaving the children unsupervised or call for help if necessary.

• Never dive into an above ground pool. Never dive head first from the sides of an in ground pool. Feet first is fine, but the only time you should ever dive head first into a pool is from a properly installed diving board.