Each year, thousands of children between the ages of 1 and 3 suffer near-drowning injuries or drowning deaths in residential pools and spas, reports PoolSafety.gov. These injuries are preventable if families take precautions to ensure the safety of their young ones.
In-ground pools
Do you have an in-ground pool? Are you thinking about putting one in your yard? In-ground pools are great if you want to have a diving pool. The American Red Cross has studied spinal cord and neck injuries caused by unsafe diving; most neck and spinal cord injuries occur in water less than six feet deep. The American Red Cross suggests diving pools should be a minimum of nine feet deep.
When you are considering a diving pool, you need to make sure the pool will be deep enough to meet safety standards and to prevent injuries. Roughly, diving pools consist of 1/3 shallow end, 1/3 slope and 1/3 deep end. You must also consider the slope of the pool to gradually progress into the deep end. Having an in-ground diving pool limits the amount of play space you have. If you want a pool people can easily stand in for a game of volleyball, you probably shouldn’t get a diving pool.
Safety Measures
Fencing is always a good option for families with small children and is mandatory in many areas. If you plan to install a fence around your pool area, it needs to be at least four feet tall and the gaps in the fence need to be small enough so a child cannot slip between the bars.
Pool covers are a good line of defense if you don’t want to put fencing up in your yard. Pool covers come in different varieties and can help you save on energy costs and keep your pool clean as well as keeping your children safe. If your pool cover is on an automatic rolling system, keep controls out of reach from your kids so they can’t pull the cover back themselves.
Put signs up noting the depth of different spots in your pool. Place NO DIVING signs by the shallow ends and depth signs in each portion. You can also put up pool rule signs around the pool deck so your family and visitors can easily read them. Kids are not always the best listeners so the added NO DIVING sign can be a big help.
Jump Board vs Diving Board
It is important to know the difference between jump boards and diving boards. A jump board is a board on a stand with a spring while a diving board is a board on a stationary stand without a spring. Diving boards do not have a lot of spring or bounce to limit the risk of injury that could happen during a dive.
Diving boards are different and individual to each pool’s shape and size. You should consult a professional to ensure that your diving board is the right size, weight and properly anchored for your pool.
Follow safety instructions
The best way to prevent any pool injury is to follow safety rules. If you are not a strong swimmer, you shouldn’t swim unattended in the deep end. If your children are just learning to swim, give them floaties to prevent drowning accidents.
If you are considering installing a pool, consult experts like those at In The Swim to make sure you are covering your safety bases. You shouldn’t try to install a pool or diving board on your own or with uncredited businesses. You want the work done right so work with a respectable team that you know will follow regulations. We can all be safer around the pool and following safety instructions is the best way to do that.
This article is from Katie Selph. Katie is a freelance writer living in Phoenix. She attended the University of Arizona where she received a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing. She currently does marketing and communications work for The Phoenix Chorale and Mesa Arts Center. She has a passion for writing, arts organizations and nonprofit work.
