Drowning deaths happen quickly and silently. You might look away for five minutes from your pool and return to find that a tragic and irreversible accident has occurred.
If you are the owner of a pool, you probably want to do everything you can to prevent such an accident from happening. Taking certain precautions may be required by your insurance company. Being diligent to prevent drowning accidents is also required by law, especially if you want to avoid liability concerns in the event that an unspeakable tragedy happens.
What can I do to keep my pool safe?
Here are several vital steps you should do to prevent drowning accidents:
- Teach everyone how to swim: If you own a pool, everyone who lives in your household should know how to swim — no excuses. Whether you’re an adult or child, being around a pool represents a serious risk to your life if you can’t swim.
- Make sure you have a fence: Children may be attracted to a pool out of curiosity. Fencing in your pool will ensure that kids do not accidentally fall in and drown.
- Install a pool alarm: Nearly half of children who drown in pools were last observed in the home. They may even have been sleeping in the home in 15 percent of cases. Next, they were found in the pool after a drowning accident. Installing an alarm on doorways leading to the pool will alert parents if a child enters the pool area.
- Prohibit alcoholic beverages around the pool: When adults drown in a pool, the accident usually involved alcohol. By refraining from serving alcohol around your pool, you will prevent adults from getting too drunk to navigate the pool area responsibly.
- Learn CPR: If you know how to administer CPR, there’s a better chance that you can prevent a drowning death if someone falls into a pool and needs you to resuscitate them.
Are you ready to make your pool safe?
Use common sense when making your pool area safe and you and your family will likely enjoy an accident-free swimming environment. Not only could the measures you take help save a life, but you could prevent becoming liable for personal injury damages in the event of an unplanned drowning tragedy.