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Having a pool in the yard is a luxury we would all love, but sometimes, it can be a cause of concern when we have little kids excited about playing in the water!

Most children enjoy splashing around and swimming with toys and pool accessories to add to the fun. Still, it is essential to have strict pool safety rules for the kids – and to encourage fun within safety, with a responsible grown-up around at all times! 

Don’t fret – pool safety is easy, and with just a few simple rules to ensure no emergencies like drowning or slipping on the wet ground, you and the children will have a blast.

Drowning Is Serious

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in South Africa, according to an article by Life Med. Each year nationwide, an estimated 350 children drown in or near their homes, NSRI reports in an article on World Water Safety Day. When we look at all children up to the age of 14, this group makes up 29% of all fatal drownings in the country, according to NRSI.

Lifeguards are prominent in public swimming areas like the beach and public pools. Children who can swim still need to be supervised as they underestimate how quickly exhaustion can set in from swimming and how deep the pool can be, especially for kids under the age of 12.

If your child is new to swimming or still learning, be safe, make them wear water wings, and even if you are confident in your child’s swimming abilities, never leave them unattended!

Pool Toys Can Be Hazardous

Pool toys and even floating toys for younger kids can cause more harm than good. If you read the label on most pool toys, there is a warning that children must be supervised during use. Especially baby floaties that require you to prop your child into them, legs first. 

These toys can flip upside down when in use, trapping your child and causing them to drown.

Pool drownings involving children happen so fast. A child can drown in the short time it takes to answer the phone or chat with a neighbour. 

“An estimated 600 children die by drowning each year,” said Jessica Shelver, duty spokesperson at the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). “Many of these fatal drownings could be prevented if there was a responsible, able-bodied person watching the children when they are in or near water and if they were able to recognise the signs of drowning,” said Shelver.

Slippery Surfaces 

The area around your pool will most likely be wet and slippery whenever the pool is used. The best thing to do is to invest in non-slip tiles for the area directly around the pool’s edge. There are also non-slip mats, the same as we would use in the shower or bath, to stop you from slipping! You can also use this material to cover any pool handles and, if possible, the pool floor. By painting the steps in and out of the pool with bright colours or marking them, you can avoid injuries resulting from slipping. 

Gated Pools!

Always have a gate and fence surrounding the pool’s perimeter. These may not be fully childproof, especially for older children. Still, they add a layer of protection and send the message that the pool area is not accessible. Make sure that the fence is at least 1.6 meters high and that the lock is inaccessible for the height of the average child under the age of 12.

Some people even put an alarm on the gate, so there is an alert for when the gate opens. 

If you do not have an alarm, a bell on the moving part of the gate is excellent to alert parents when younger kids have to access the pool. 

In the event of a drowning or an accident around the pool, you want to act fast. The iER emergency button on your phone can save your child’s life. 

Depth

It is inadvisable to have a pool deeper than 2 meters in a non-commercial setting. It is advisable to have a shallow side separated from the rest of the pool so that kids can play safely without worrying about the water going over their heads. 

Still, children are to be supervised on the shallow side!

Cover The Pool Up!

Pool covers are standard, whether motorised, a manual tarp, or a sturdy net fitted to sit tightly across the pool’s surface. 

“A power safety cover is a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the water area”, says Family Education, an online publication focusing on family life and wellbeing. Motor-driven covers easily open and close over the pool. When the power safety cover is properly in place over the swimming pool, it provides high-level safety for children under the age of five years by restricting their access to the water. 

Remember, never leave your child unsupervised inside or near a pool. Always appoint a “designated watcher” during social gatherings to protect young children from pool accidents. When adults become preoccupied at the poolside, children are at risk.