Pool Safety Tips for a Fun Summer

Let’s go SWIMMING!  We are excited to spend summer in the water! Whether you’re at a lake, beach, or your own backyard pool, learning how to keep kids safer around water is an important responsibility for any parent or caregiver.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4 years old and the second leading cause of unintentional death for kids ages 5-14 years old. It’s vital for anyone caring for children to know what they can do to help prevent drowning incidents. The key for parents and caregivers is to familiarize kids with swimming early, so they can get used to being in the water — and have fun learning. 

To do this, the CPSC Pool Safely campaign recommends these critical safety tips for all parents and caregivers to follow all year long. As your insurance agent, we encourage you to have pool and water safety discussions with your children and teens.  

1. Teach children how to swim. Everyone can learn to swim, even adults who never learned as a child. Swimming is not only fun, it’s a crucial lifesaving skill. Enroll children in swimming lessons as early as possible so they can learn basics like how to float, tread water and reach the edge of the pool.
2. Never leave a child unattended in or near water, even for a moment. Always watch children around water, including pools, spas, lakes, ponds, fountains, buckets and bathtubs. Put your phone down and pay attention to your children and the surroundings.
3. Be aware of drain danger. Teach children not to play or swim near drains or suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools. Powerful suction from a pool or spa drain can even trap an adult.
4. Install or look for barriers, alarms and covers on and around pools or spas. Whether you visit or own a pool, check for fencing, a door alarm, and pool and spa covers. 
5. Learn CPR for adults and children. Bystanders are often first to aid a drowning victim, so learning CPR can help save a life. Make sure the class you take includes child CPR, which uses different techniques than CPR for adults.

As the weather gets warmer and families continue to swim at home this season, visit www.PoolSafely.gov for more safety tips before getting in or around the water with the kids. A backyard pool can be a welcoming way to cool down during the hot summer months, but it also carries a lot of risks. Not only do we encourage the use of safety equipment, but local governments set ordinances that legally require homeowners to have a certain amount of preventative measures in place to reduce the risk of an accident.

Source: https://www.poolsafely.gov/blog/keep-all-kids-safer-by-following-these-water-safety-tips/ and https://coverhound.com/insurance-learning-center/how-to-keep-your-pool-from-being-an-insurance-nightmare