Blog| Pool Safety
Pool Safety tips for a safe and happy winter
Now that the colder temperatures have arrived many people forget about pool and spa safety. Before the snow hits, it’s important to check several items to prepare for the cold winter months ahead.
Hawaiian Pool Builders offers these swimming pool and spa safety tips:
1. Check all the straps around the perimeter of the pool. Straps should be tight and not tangled. If any straps are loose, tighten them up to insure even tension. If these are not tightened, small children might be able to crawl under the cover. It would be next to impossible to see someone that was physically under the cover.
2. A pool or spa cover is an essential piece of safety equipment. Inspect the cover for rips or tears. With a few inches of snow on the cover a child OR adult could unexpectedly walk on the cover and exaggerate the tear, subsequently falling though.
3. Make sure all the breakers to your pool equipment are turned off from the main breaker panel. No need to worry about a child accidently turning on your pump with no water circulation.
4. Inspect fences surrounding the pool to ensure locks and latches are working properly. Though it’s winter, it’s important to be sure unsupervised children are not able to access the pool while playing in the back yard.
These common sense steps take only a few minutes to complete. The time spent inspecting your swimming pool to ensure winter safety can provide great peace of mind.
Hawaiian Pool Builders designs, installs and services swimming pools from its headquarters in Maumee, Ohio. Winter is a great time to start pool research and meet with a team of professionals to guarantee a spot on the spring construction schedule.
Tips to keep kids safe around swimming pools
Keeping children safe around water is very important especially around backyard swimming pools. Taking the proper precautions will help you too keep kids safe around your pool. Here are some tips to ensure your pool is safe for children.
* Install safety equipment that would keep out unsupervised children. Fences should be tall enough that children cannot climb over them. Fence doors should be self closing and self latching and should also include childproof locks.
* Put alarms on pools or gates.
* Adults watching children in the pool should have a close eye on them at ALL times. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted, not even for a moment.
* Don’t be lulled by a false sense of security if a child has had swimming lessons. They are still susceptible to drowning no matter how well they seem to swim.
* Rescue equipment should be kept near the pool such as life preservers, a pole, and life vests.
* A phone should also be near the pool in case of emergencies.
* Adults should learn CPR. This can be a deciding factor if a real emergency happens.
Your child’s safety is no doubt the most important thing to you. Make sure you take the proper precautions to ensure the safety of your children and children in your neighborhood.
Swimming pool diving board and slide safety tips
You’ve worked with your Ohio swimming pool builders to have your swimming pool installed and now comes the fun part – the installation of a diving board and slide. They certainly can be fun, but you have to practice caution and follow some safety rules.
A lot of people view a diving board as simply an add-on to the pool fun, but diving boards are the cause of many a backyard mishap. It should be routine for your swimming pool builder or service professional to check that your diving board is secure and in safe operating order. He or she will ensure that none of the hardware has become loose and that there are no cracks in the foundation securing the diving board.
As with all swimming pool safety, make certain children who use the diving board and the swimming pool are supervised at all times. Use extreme caution – or avoid the swimming pool altogether — if you’re drinking alcohol.
Here are diving board safety tips from the Hawaiian Pool Builders:
- Use diving boards the way they are intended – one person at a time, making certain the water is deep enough for diving.
- Never dive – or swim – alone.
- Stay out from under the board when someone is on it.
- Know the weight limits of the diving board.
- Make sure when you jump away from the board that you jump far enough away so you don’t hit your head.
- Don’t run on the board – it can be slippery and you could slip and fall.
- Don’t dive from the board if the pool is crowded with swimmers.
Pool slides are also a fun way to accessorize your pool. They do require specific height and space requirements to be used safely. Here are our slide safety tips:
- As with diving – never use the slide alone. Make certain the slide has been installed to manufacturer specs.
- Have a routine maintenance schedule to make certain pool is secure.
- Know the weight limits of the pool slide.
- Only one person at a time should be going down the slide.
- To avoid head and neck injury, always go down the slide feet first.
- Keep the slide wet, especially on hot days to prevent burns.
Having a swimming pool in your backyard in Ohio is a great, fun addition to your backyard and as with anything your family undertakes, do it safely and use common sense!
7 Tips To Keep Your Dog Safe Around The Swimming Pool
Keeping your children safe around the swimming pool is a given for anyone who owns one but have you ever given thought to keeping your pets safe? Swimming pools are great areas for your dog to get some fun and exercise and spend time with the family.
Even though your family dogs might love to be around you in the swimming pool, keep in mind that not all dogs are great swimmers and they can tire easily. Here are 10 ways to keep your dog safe in and around the swimming pool:
- Use the same safety precautions you’d use with a small child in, don’t leave the dog in or around the swimming pool unattended.
- Keep your swimming pool surrounded by a safety fence. It’s crucial for the safety of both your children and your pets and may even be required by law.
- Don’t let your pool deck get cluttered with dog toys. They are temptations. If the toy falls in the pool, the dog might jump in.
- Leaving more than one dog in the pool area unsupervised is a risk. Dogs love to play and accidentally bump the other into the pool.
- Have a dog first aid book, read it, and become familiar with reviving a dog that has drowned. Have the vet and emergency vet numbers handy.
- Teach the dog to swim, and do it enough until the dog doesn’t panic in water. A dog that flails around in water, and can’t take direction isn’t swimming; it is just beating the water with its paws. Swimming looks different than panic.
- Have a visual target for the dog, which is near the steps leading out of the water, and get the dog familiar with it and practice having him swimming toward it.
- Keep your dog in shape. A dog that isn’t fit can’t swim any better than a human that isn’t in shape.
- Don’t overly exhaust the dog while swimming or they will go under. Know your dog’s capabilities.
- Preplan your pool construction with the idea that the dog needs sufficient footing to climb out of the pool. Small dogs, especially, can’t make it up and out using the big steps of most pools.
It’s always nice to be able to have your pet around the swimming pool when you’re enjoying time with your family, just make certain you do it responsibly!
