FOLIO LINE FOLIO LINE M c C l a t c h y - Tr i b u n e

Install an
outside phone
Tips for pool or keep a cordless
phone poolside.
safety at home Leaving children
Individual alarms can be alone to answer
purchased for doors and the phone puts
windows with pool access. them at risk.

Home alarms can alert when

doors or windows are opened.
All entryway locks
The pool should be visible should be 54 inches high.
from all windows. Do not Doors should self-close
obscure view with plants. and self-latch.

A ring buoy with

a nylon rope can be
thrown to someone in distress.

Keep barriers and fences

clear of objects, structures
and toys that children could use
to climb on to gain access
to the pool.

A shepherd’s hook
on a 16-foot-pole is
very important in
Supervision, swimming lessons and securing your households where
an adult can’t swim.
pool are keys to averting pool-related drownings
Graphic by Cindy Jones-Hulfachor/Sun Sentinel
A child could
use a chair to
Wheeled toys, such as climb over a fence.
a tricycle or baby walker,
Self-closing gate
in the pool area can lead
to children falling in.

A four-foot
Toys near or high fence is
Child safety fencing
in the pool attract recommended.
is one way to protect
children to the pool’s a new pool.
edge, increasing the
risk of falling in. Fence construction
is available in a variety
of materials including
fiberglass and
aluminum. There also
are several qualities
Inflatable toys of mesh netting.
and arm bands
should not be
relied upon as
safety devices.

Anti-vortex drain cover

Replace
old covers.
New covers
have holes that
circle the cover to help
prevent tangled hair and
suction-related injuries.

Check drain Pool alarms

covers to make
sure they aren’t
broken and screws
aren’t missing.
Safety rules for home pools
■ Make sure family and visi-
tors understand pool rules.
■ No running or screaming.
Loud voices are for emer-
gency situations only.
that monitor wave activity. Hooks attach to
An indoor, wireless remote device the anchors at
can sound when there is activity. the pool’s edge.
Other types of alarms measure
subsurface pressure waves or
monitor underwater activity with
lasers.
Safety netting
has hooks that
attach and tighten. Solar covers
are not safety
covers; they
■ If diving is permitted, tell should be removed
swimmers which area of the from the pool before use.
pool is safe for diving. People can become
■ Let swimmers know rules entangled in the covers,
for pool toys, which may be and they hamper rescue.

■ Always supervise children different by age.

S O U R C E S : T H E A S S O C I AT I O N O F P O O L & S PA P R O F E S S I O N A L S ; A M E R I C A N R E D C R O S S ; C A R L O S
swimming. TA N O N , P I N C H A P E N N Y; S T E V E S C H AT Z B E R G , B A B Y G UA R D ; L E S L I E ’ S P O O L S U P P L I E S ; A L L
A M E R I C A N P O O L S A F E T Y F E N C E ; K I D S A F E P O O L N E T S ; PA L M B E AC H A N D B R OWA R D C O U N T I E S
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICES; SUN-SENTINEL RESEARCH

Statistics on families and water-related activities Teaching

■ A 2009 American Red Cross
telephone survey found that 87
percent of all households in
the United States will participate
in at least one water-related
recreational activity during the
summer.
SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, AMERICAN RED CROSS
children how
■ A 2007 Centers for Disease ■ More than one in five fatal to swim is
Control and Prevention study drowning victims are children important if
found that of all children ages 14 and younger. For every child you plan to
1 to 4 years old who died from who dies from drowning, another participate in
an unintentional injury, four received emergency depart- recreational
almost 30 percent died ment care for nonfatal submer- activities
from drowning. sion injuries. around water.
MCT

POOL SAFETY
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE