Pool Maintenance and Safety News
Swimming Pool Rules
Every safe swimmer needs rules!
Follow these swimming rules from Red Cross for a safe and enjoyable swim season:
- Learn to swim well. Almost two million people of all ages learn to swim each year with Red Cross Program
- Always closely supervise children whenever they are near any body of water.
- Weak or inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets anytime they’re around water.
- Know how to respond to an emergency (including lifesaving CPR skills), how to tell if a swimmer is in distress or drowning and how and when to call for emergency help. If you have a pool or hot tub, keep lifesaving gear handy.
- Always have on hand a ring buoy, life jackets, rope, pole or other object that can be used to help a person in trouble.
Be sure to have a first aid kit, phone and emergency contact information by the pool. Contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information on learning to swim, water safety, home pool safety, first aid and CPR classes. For more information, visit RedCross.org.
PoolSafely.gov – Never leave a child unattended in or near the water
It only takes a second. Drowning doesn’t happen in the way Hollywood portrays it. It’s quick, silent and can often go unnoticed if a parent or guardian is distracted. Vigilance is paramount when children are in or near the water, which is why it is so important to designate an adult Water Watcher.
A Water Watcher is:
- Assigned to watch children in the water, never leaving them unattended
- Regularly scans the bottom of the pool
- Avoids talking on the phone or engaging in distracting, poolside conversations
- Will call 911 and administer CPR in the event of an emergency
- Can locate and know how to use all pool safety equipment onsite
If a group of adults is present, they can take turns being Water Watchers, rotating shifts every 15 minutes. This allows everyone to have an enjoyable time at the gathering, while ensuring that children are safer in and around the water. Unfortunately, too many drownings occur at pool parties with many adults present – everyone thinks someone else is watching, when, in reality, no one is watching.
Read more at poolsafely.gov
