Swimming Pool Safety Tips

With warmer weather comes an array of outdoor activities for the whole family, including cooling off in a pool if you are lucky enough to have one. But with a pool also comes the responsibility of safety must-haves and best practices that any parent or homeowner should be concerned with.

With over 200 young children¹ drowning in backyard pools each year, these tips are critical to ensuring a fun environment for anyone who owns a pool to keep both their friends and family safe and secure.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips:

It is important to maintain secure fencing and a locked entrance around the pool and deck area to prevent access when adequate supervision is not available. Install self-closing and self-latching gates in the proper locations.
Make sure no one swims alone. Never leave a child unattended in the water or pool area, and see that less experienced swimmers are always accompanied by a swimmer who has water life-saving skills.
Equip your door, gate, or pool with an audible alarm to alert you if someone enters the pool area or falls into the pool while it is unattended.
Diving should be prohibited unless a specific area of the pool is designated for safe diving. Water depth and diving-restricted areas should be clearly marked.
Make sure there is adequate life-saving equipment in the pool area, including life preservers and a rope with life-saving rings, a reaching pole or rescue hook.

Pool Maintenance Tips:

Keep chemicals safely stored away from the pool area. Follow all storage and usage instructions recommended by the pool chemical manufacturer.
Be sure electrical devices, including outdoor entertainment systems, are away from pools or wet surfaces. When using electrical devices outdoors be sure to plug them into a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter). Keep the pool area clear of glass bottles, toys or other potential accident hazards.
Inspect the liner regularly as rips and tears can appear undetected at the top of the lining. Check for signs of wear and tear in areas where pipes or other items may have penetrated the liner (e.g. skimmers, hoses, etc.).

To find out if you have the protection you need for your pool, get a free, no-obligation quote from the Travelers Home Insurance Program for M&T customers today.

Get a quote or call 1-844-202-4686.

Disclosures

Insurance Products are NOT Deposits; NOT FDIC Insured; NOT insured by nor an obligation of Any Federal Government Agency; NOT Guaranteed or Underwritten by the Bank; Not a Condition to the Provision or Terms of any Banking Service or Activity; and May Go Down in Value.

Insurance products are offered by Travelers and M&T Insurance Agency, Inc., not by M&T Bank. Insurance policies are obligations of the insurers that issue the policies. M&T Insurance Agency, Inc. is a subsidiary of M&T Bank.

Sources: ¹  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/water-safety/home-pool-safety

Additional source:

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) http://www.poolsafely.gov/

Swimming Pool Safety Tips

With warmer weather comes an array of outdoor activities for the whole family, including cooling off in a pool if you are lucky enough to have one. But with a pool also comes the responsibility of safety must-haves and best practices that any parent or homeowner should be concerned with.