Steps To Take To Keep Your Family Safe Around The Pool

5 August 2018

Swimming pools can provide years of fun for the family, but they also introduce a great danger to the family. As a parent, you do all that you can to ensure that your kids are happy, healthy and safe. As a pool owner, you'll do all that you can to ensure that the pool is safe, clean and enjoyable. Here, you'll find a few things to consider including in your pool security system.

The Enclosure

This is probably the most important safety feature around your pool. The enclosure must contain nothing but the pool. So, if the pool is directly behind the house, make sure that the fence doesn't allow access directly to the pool from the house.

• Pool enclosures should be no less than four feet high.
• The gate should be self-closing with a latch that locks as soon as the gate closes.
• The latch should be too difficult for little kids to operate.
• The enclosure should be inspected at least once each season and necessary repairs made immediately.

Alarm Options

Some areas require the installation of pool alarms. If you're unsure if your area requires them, contact your local municipality to inquire about the required safety features for your pool. There are a couple of different types of alarms to consider – gate alarms and underwater motion alarms.

Gate alarms will alert you if someone was to open the gate. Look for an alarm that will continue to sound until you reset it. If you opt for one of the cheaper models, it may only chime when the gate is opened and closed, but after the kids have made their way through the gate, the alarm silences and they can continue putting themselves at risk.

Underwater motion alarms are wonderful pieces of tech. These alarms monitor the water for movement. If your kids were to fall into the pool, the alarm will sound and alert you that someone is inside the pool. One other type of alarm to consider are the wrist alarms. These alarms strap onto your child's wrist like a watch, and an alarm sounds when water comes into contact with it. These are OK, but they aren't as reliable as the other options.

Talk with your family about safety around the pool. If you take all of the preventative steps to avoid accidental drownings and you educate your family about the dangers of drowning, you'll find more joy in your pool and less anxiety from outside of it.

For more information, contact a company like Enclosure Rescue Inc.