Water Safety Facts You Need to Know

May is National Water Safety Month! The sun has broken free from its wintry prison and summer is making its way around the mountain. Since you’ve already begun to think about re-opening your pool for the summer, now’s the perfect time to study up on Water Safety in order to protect your children from the dangers of the water.

Among unintentional injuries, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 5. Most of these deaths occur in a backyard pool.

Rising temperatures and drier climates are leading more and more people to purchase backyard pools for their families to enjoy during the hot months, and while pools are a great investment, it is vital to practice good water safety habits around your children to ensure their overall safety and protection.

If we’ve Aqua Quipped your life with a swimming pool, hot tub, or swim spa, take care to read through this whole list and learn as much as you can about Water Safety so you can pass along the knowledge to your friends, family, and neighbors.

Courtesy of the “Simple Steps Save Lives” Program and apsp.org, here are a few simple steps you can take in order to save lives and prevent water-related accidents:

Stay close, be alert, and watch children in and around the pool

  • Never leave a child unattended in a pool or hot tub
  • Teach children basic water safety tips
  • If a child is missing, check the pool or hot tub first
  • Have a phone close by when you or your family is using a pool or hot tub
  • Share safety instructions with family, friends, and neighbors

Learn and practice water safety skills

  • Teach your child how to swim
  • Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, updating your skills regularly
  • Understand the basics of life-saving so you can assist in pool emergencies

Have appropriate equipment for your pool or hot tub

  • Install a fence around your pool or hot tub with self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools
  • Install and use a lockable safety cover on your hot tub
  • If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas
  • Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water

At Aqua Quip, you can find everything you need to ensure a safe backyard environment for your kids. Whether it’s fences, gates, stairs, or auto-locks, we’ll take care of the set up while you can rest easy knowing your child is safe; however, while having the necessary equipment can be noticeably helpful, there are always other ways to sneak past. Always keep an eye on your kids when they’re outside near the pool no matter what. Drowning can happen in 10 seconds. Don’t let it happen to your kids.

If you’re in need of a fence or gate for your pool, please contact us at sales@aquaquip.com and we’ll get you set up with the proper safety equipment.

For more Water Safety tips or information about National Water Safety month, visit nationalwatersafetymonth.org/Consumers/Safety-Tips