Last Updated on August 14, 2017
Swimming pool safety especially with kids around is an important topic considering the playful nature of kids and the dangers this poses when they are around pools. In most cases, kids are usually oblivious of danger and it is up to their parents or guardians to keep them safe. Swimming pools pose a number of dangers with the worst case being that of drowning. There have been many cases of kids accidentally falling into swimming pools and drowning without being noticed. In some cases however, they can just decide to be naughty and try swimming without adult supervision and this as well can turn out to be fatal. To avert such occurrences, it is important to have safety measures in place around public swimming pool areas and these include:
- Supervise the kids when they are within the swimming pool area and ensure that they are not playing dangerous games such as pushing each other inside the pool.
- Ensure that all the floaters and pool toys being used by the kids are in good working condition and are within the recommended age bracket. Always inspect them before allowing the kids to go with them into the water to make sure they are not torn or scratched. With this, you will still need to be near the pool area to make sure they are using the floaters correctly.
- Teach the kids how to swim starting with a baby pool or a makeshift pool. This is a safety measure because once the kids learn how to stay afloat in water, they have a lower chance of drowning when the accidentally fall in the pool.
- It is important for parents to learn simple first aid tips such as CPR to be able to assist the kids in case of an accident.
- The person accompanying the kids to the public pool should themselves be good swimmers such that they can jump into the water quickly and save a drowning child.
With all these safety measures, supervision still remains the surest way of ensuring pool safety for kids in public swimming pools because any possible occurrence of an accident can be averted before it is too late. It is therefore important for parents, guardians and caregivers to set aside time to accompany kids to the public pool instead of allowing them to go in the company of other kids.
