As summer approaches, so does swimming pool season. Pretty soon families are going to be enjoying the benefits of swimming pools on a monthly and maybe even weekly basis. While that sounds like the makings of a fun-filled summer, it can also spell disaster if parents and/or children don’t know how to enjoy pool time safely.
Summer Pool Safety Tips for Kids
While it is important for kids to know how to safely enjoy time at a swimming pool, it is also crucial for parents and other adults to understand how to keep children safe at the pool. The following are summer pool safety tips for kids that adults (especially pool owners) should know:
- Teach the kids how to swim. Children should not be near the pool if they don’t know how to swim (unless they are learning to swim at the time). While kids should always be under adult supervision when they are at the pool, all it takes is a few seconds of distraction for tragedy to strike. If a child who doesn’t know how to swim falls in the pool, there may not be enough time to rescue them. However, if a child who knows how to swim falls into the pool, they may be able to stay afloat long enough for help to arrive and avoid tragedy.
- Make sure the children are always under adult supervision. At least one adult should always be keeping an eye on the kids while they’re playing near or in the swimming pool. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, so adults need to be aware of them soon enough to react quickly and save the child before it is too late. Adult supervision can also help prevent accidents from happening at all if reckless behavior is nipped in the bud quickly.
- Know CPR. There should always be at least one adult present at the pool who knows CPR in case there’s an emergency. Even if you call 911, emergency personnel may not arrive in time to revive a child who has drowned unless someone has already started doing CPR on the child before EMS arrives.
- Cover pool drains and make sure kids know to stay away from drains. Swimming pool drains are dangerous. Clothes, hair, jewelry, and limbs can get caught in them due to their powerful suction. If a child is trapped by a drain, it can result in serious injury or death. Safety drain covers allow swimming pool drains to do their jobs without endangering swimmers. Make sure your pool has them, and make sure that any public or private pool you visit has them as well.
- Make sure kids cannot get into the swimming pool unattended. When a swimming pool is not in use, it should be covered, fenced off with the gate closed, and have an alarm activated and ready to sound if anyone tries to access it. Kids don’t always understand how dangerous situations are until it is too late. Having barriers in place to protect them from gaining access to the swimming pool unattended is a must.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Swimming Pool Accident Attorneys Today
A swimming pool is a luxury, but it is also a responsibility. Safety must always be a swimming pool owner’s top priority, especially in situations where children are involved. Kids are often too excited about playing in a swimming pool to be as safe around a pool as they should be. That’s why it is up to the adults to keep them safe, especially whoever owns the swimming pool.
The swimming pool accident attorneys at Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC have more than 125 years of combined legal experience. We’ve seen what can happen to victims and families in the aftermath of a devastating accident, such as a drowning. That’s why we are dedicated to carrying the legal burden for victims and their families in such situations. They should be able to concentrate on taking care of one another and healing while we take care of the rest.
Our experienced personal injury attorneys can handle the legal fight necessary to hold those at fault responsible for the negligence that led to the tragedy, including securing the compensation victims and their families will need for current and future medical costs, funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and more.
To speak with our experienced swimming pool accident attorneys about your situation, call us at (843) 968-0886 or contact us online today to schedule a free & confidential consultation.