The month of May has been recognized as National Water Safety Month. As water-related recreational activities are at the forefront of family fun, safety in and around the pool should be the main priority. According to poolsafety.gov, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 through 4. To keep you and your family safe, we would like to provide these 5 pool safety tips:

1. Teach children at a young age how to swim and water safety.

Enrolling children in swimming lessons from a young age will provide them with the water safety skills they will need to become confident swimmers. Several local recreational facilities offer swimming lessons. We recommend you look online to find a program to best suit the needs of your family members. 

 2. Never leave your child unattended in or around the pool. 

In a matter of seconds tragedy in the pool can occur when children are left unattended near or in the pool. Children need to be supervised around the pool at all times by a responsible adult. Even when kids are not in the water, they still need to be supervised as other risks such as a slip or fall could occur around the pool. 

 3. Pool toys are not life-saving devices. 

Swimming aids such as water wings or noodles are fun toys for kids, but should never be used in place of a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices (PFDs).  Large pool floats have become extremely popular. Due to their size, it is easy to lose sight of a child who may become trapped underneath a large pool float. Make certain there is at least 3 feet of clearance on each side of the float to allow swimmers to escape should they become trapped. Remember to remove all toys from the pool, as they may attract young children to the pool area leading to an unintentional fall into the pool. 

 4. Pool Party Safety

Hosting a pool party is a fun way to spend time with your friends and family, however, it is important safety maintains a priority. Maintain a rule of no running and no rough play around the pool as slip and fall can occur quite easily. Never push someone into a pool, especially where the depth is unknown. Adults are not immune to pool mishaps either, should you be serving alcohol at your pool party, be sure it is served in moderation and keep an eye out on your guests. 

5. Learn CPR and post life-saving instructions near the pool.

Should a drowning occur, every second counts as it only takes four to six minutes without oxygen for severe brain damage or death to occur. Knowing CPR rescue techniques is crucial when trouble strikes. Sign up for a local CPR training class to learn such life-saving tips by finding a class online. 

We hope you consider these pool safety tips to keep you, your family and guests safe all year long. We understand accidents happen, and should an incident occur in or around your pool, we want to remind you that your Homeowners policy should provide personal and medical liability coverage. Please feel free to give us a call at 800.714.1447 for a free, no-obligation quote or to learn more.