Swimming Pool Safety Comes First

A swimming pool can be one of the best investments you can make for your home. It adds beauty and can enhance value. But before you or anyone from your family decides to go for a swim, it’s important to take the time to learn and practice proper water safety. The folks at All Florida Pool & Spa Center want all Miami homeowners to be cognizant of safety to ensure everyone gets the most enjoyment from their pool experience.

The statistics are scary. Florida loses more children under the age of five to drowning than any other state. The Sunshine State has easily the largest drowning rate in the nation for toddlers at 7.29 per 100,000 children under five.  Unfortunately, many of these deaths could have been prevented.

It’s important to have some sort of fencing around the parameter of the pool. Nearly half of all drowning deaths among children could have been prevented with the use of a four-sided fence which separates the pool from the house or yard. It’s recommended to build the fence four feet high along with self-closing and self-latching gates to open outward.

Before you install a swimming pool for your home, make sure your children know how to properly swim. Miami is a great place for formal youth swimming education.  It’s never too early to start. Some classes teach toddlers are young as age one. The sooner you child is exposed to water, the more comfortable and cognizant they will be about water safety.  Enrolling your child for swimming lessons can reduce their chance of drowning by 88 percent.

Wearing a life jacket may not look fashionable at the pool. But when it comes to water safety, they’re extremely helpful for young children and inexperienced swimmers. Most people think of life jackets as a safety device only used on boats. But if a child has limited exposure to the water, they can become a valuable tool. Don’t use toys such as inner-tubes, waterwings and noodles as substitutes for life jackets. They are not designed to keep young swimmers safe.

The most important and overlooked safety precaution is to always have adult supervision at the pool. Even if a child is a good swimmer, they should never be left alone without an adult present. If you have a toddler or a young child, make sure they stay within an arm’s length. Avoid distractions such as reading or using the phone. Make sure you keep both eyes on your kids.

Finally, take the time to learn CPR. It never hurts to be prepared for a worst case scenario. Knowing CPR can make the difference between saving a life or witnessing a fatality. Just by starting the CPR process can buy a child time before medical professionals arrive at the scene. All Florida Pool & Spa Center wants you to remember that a swimming pool is a great source of family fun. But the best way to have fun is to be safe.