Backyard and Pool checklist to keep kids safe
System - Monday, August 13, 2012
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14 and the leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. Take these important steps to make your backyard pool safer to prevent an accident.
- Install a fence with a safety lock around your pool.
- Use door, gate, and pool alarms to alert you if someone enters the pool area.
- Teach your children to swim or enroll them in a swim program.
- Invest in an automatic, power safety cover. This is an impenetrable cover that is operated by a key or controlled electronic monitor will completely cover the pool.
- Equip your pool with a retrofit anti-entrapment safety drain cover.
- Invest in self-closing/self-latching devices for doors and latching devices for windows that lead to the pool area. This keeps all doors and windows leading to the pool or spa area securely closed.
- Establish pool rules, such as no running or diving and enforce them.
- Always have an alert adult supervise swimming.
- Supply coast guard approved life jackets for kids to wear.
- Learn CPR.
Katherine Bankuti
