The spring may seem too early to be thinking about your pool, but it’s actually the ideal time to begin thinking about summer pool safety. If you own a pool, you should be making preparations now to get your yard in order and be a safe environment for your family. You may be wondering what it means to prepare your yard to be a safe environment? To help homeowners with pools in New Jersey, we’ve created a Backyard Pool Spring Safety Checklist that will help you take preventative measures and install layers of protection to safeguard your family from accidental drownings.
Life Saver’s Backyard Pool Spring Safety Checklist
At Life Saver North New Jersey we want to help every homeowner, parent, guardian, or even an older sibling become a “LIFESAVER” for their family. Whether you have small children in your home, are grandparents or rent your home to families with children, our easy to remember formula will help you create a safe space in your backyard and pool area. We recommend printing and displaying our checklist somewhere in your home as a visual reminder to take these precautions with your pool at all times.
How to be a Life Saver Pool Fence LIFESAVER:
Layers of protection – This is the first step in protecting your family from drowning and includes installing various barriers that prevent access to the pool.
Install a pool alarm – A pool alarm is one of the layers of protection you should install in your home. An alarm will alert you if there are any disturbances to the water. We also recommend installing door alarms to alert you if your children go outside without your consent.
F – A fence may be an obvious barrier of protection, but it’s one not to be skipped. It’s also important to ensure that you choose a fence that meets state pool fence regulations and laws. We recommend mesh fencing that’s removable and attractive, with a solid core pole for the strongest protection.
Early Infant Swim Instruction – We cannot stress enough the importance of early swim instruction. That could mean ISR training; even children who are 6 months old can begin to learn how to float and avoid drowning. We recommend having them learn as early as infancy, but if they are older it isn’t too late. Making sure everyone in your home knows how to swim goes a long way in drowning prevention.
Supervise Children – If you need to go inside while your children are playing, make sure to get your children out of the pool even if you’ll only be gone for a minute. Never leave children unattended and remember that drowning is silent and can happen very quickly. Do not take a chance.
Always Check the Pool First – It’s also important to keep in mind that if at any time you cannot find your children the first place you should check is the pool first even before checking out front or in the street. We can’t stress enough how every second can count if you don’t know where your child is; children are crafty and can get out of your home in so many ways, including pet doors, for example. So, check the pool first, ALWAYS.
Verify Caretakers Know CPR – Everyone in your home, as well as, anyone who cares for your children should know how to conduct CPR in the event of an emergency. Having this skill can be the difference between life and death in an emergency. Grandparents, if you have a pool at your home, you should also be CPR trained.
Educate Caretakers on Pool Safety – Anyone who takes responsibility for the care of your child should be fully educated on pool safety. This includes knowing to constantly supervise them in the water, knowing CPR and making sure they know where your children are at all times.
Remember that Drowning is Silent – Never forget that not only is drowning silent but that it is the number one accidental killer of children ages 1-4.
By following these steps you will have the assurance of multiple layers of protection being enforced in your home and around your pool and can rest assured your family is safe.
Additional Mesh Pool Fence Must-Haves
Installing a pool fence is of the utmost importance, but just any fence isn’t enough to prevent your children from accessing the pool. We recommend installing a fence that:
- Has a self-closing, self-latching gate with a latch knob at least 6” above the gate.
- Can withstand 100+ pounds of force.
- Does not have any sharp hooks or points on the latches of hardware.
- Is made of four lines of stitching securing the border to the mesh
Swimming pool season will be here before you know it. Now is the perfect time to go through our pool safety checklist before summer arrives so you can be sure your family can safely enjoy your pool all season long. If you need to install new pool fencing, or if you have any questions about pool safety, contact us today at (973) 731-7203.
