If you install a pool, whether it is an above ground pool or an inground model, you will probably be required to install special fencing around it under either local or federal laws, or under the conditions of your homeowner’s insurance contract. But while a good fence can do a lot to prevent pool accidents, there are several other safety devices you should use.
If your house has a door leading to the pool area, it should have a lock on it and an alarm. The alarm sounds when the door opens. Some are quite inexpensive and can run on house current or batteries and can be operated with either a switch or a keypad. If you get an alarm, install high on the wall so that adults can reach them but children cannot. There are also perimeter alarms that can be put around the pool and surface alarms that will sound if there is motion in the water, though these sometimes won’t detect a child getting in the water by going down steps. Finally, there are personal alarms that are worn on a child’s wrist. Any time the alarm comes in contact with the water, the alarm will sound.
Safety pool covers are important. They are designed to hold the weight of a child and are tightly harnessed across the surface of the pool. There should be no gaps that can be crawled under, and they should be made to shed standing water from rain. Make sure any safety pool cover you buy conforms to all safety standards before installing it.
If you have a spa or hot tub, beware of the danger of drain entrapment. As the water is pumped out of the tub, small body parts can become stuck to the drains. You can install a device that turns off the pump and makes an alarm sound if anything gets lodged in the drain. A drain cover that keeps hair from being trapped is another good idea.
Keep on hand a shepherd’s hook or rope to pull out children that fall in the pool. Also have Coast Guard approved life preservers ready for anyone who can’t swim. Keeping a phone by the pool is a good idea, and perhaps the most important safety measure of all is to never, ever leave children unsupervised. You’ll enjoy your pool all the more if you take the time to install the necessary pieces of swimming pool safety equipment.
