Introduction to Pool Safety

Pool Safety

Looking at your pool on a nice spring day, you take in the setting, smile, and think about the upcoming summer days and the countless hours you will spend floating comfortably in the water. As your favorite music plays in the background, you watch the wind gently blow the branches in the trees as the birds chirp happily away. Yet, despite all these pleasant thoughts, a lingering thought continues to nag at you: “Is my pool really safe?”

Surprisingly, with a little foresight and thought, you can confirm that you do have a safe pool setting. This article will focus on basics as well as extensive information that can benefit you.

Adult Supervision - Parent and adult supervision is your first and best layer of defense. While additional layers of protection add to the safety of your pool, nothing replaces proper supervision. Keep in mind, however, that supervision can and does fail. A study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that 69% of drowning incidents occur when one or both parents were responsible for watching the child. In almost half the incidents, the child was thought to be inside the house. While constant supervision is key, additional layers of protection are crucial.

Safety Equipment - Every pool should have a safety hook that is easily accessible as well as life vests and a safety ring. A rope float that divides the shallow end of a pool from the deep end is an added plus and should be properly anchored as kids and adults tend to hang on them. Can your children swim well enough without a life vest? Once again, this is a minimal investment that can save lives.

Poolside Preventions - Easy access to all of this equipment is essential. • Rope floats should always separate the shallow end and deep end of a pool. • Markings showing depth should be stenciled alongside the pool deck. • Safety signs such as No Running, No Diving, etc., can be hung around pool; and of course the rules should be enforced.

Solar Pool Covers - I have heard horrible stories about people, children, or pets falling into a pool with a bubble pack solar cover that covers the entire pool. Apparently, the cover can wrap itself around you (not unlike quicksand) and it becomes almost impossible to move in order to save yourself. Add to that the adrenaline rush of panic and it isn’t difficult to imagine the end result.

Imagine this real life situation: A friends dog drowned under a pool blanket when a neighbor, with good intentions, caught his dog running loose and put it in his back yard which had a pool with a bubble cover. The dog was found under the blanket and the assumption was made that the dog attempted to walk on the bubble blanket. The blanket gave way and the dog was trapped under it and drowned. If you imagine this scenario with a child or adult, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture!

Ideally, in the off-season, a strong reliable pool cover that is attached to the ground is the best solution to this problem. For those who live in areas that have year round swimming by using a heat cover, I encourage a safety fence around the pool.

As with every pool, it is important never to leave children, persons, or pets unsupervised in a pool area. Pool covers should always be removed when bathers use the pool and any type of solar blanket should never be used as a flotation device or as a toy. Ideally, in the off-season, a strong reliable pool cover that is attached to the ground is the best solution to this problem. For those who live in areas that have year round swimming, I encourage a safety fence around the pool. In fact, many states require them by law.

Swimming Pool Safety Fence - Removable pool safety fencing has proven, over the past thirty years, to be
the most practical and effective barrier against pool drowning short of putting up a permanent rail fence. Normally constructed of semi-transparent mesh and aluminum support poles, pool safety fencing is now readily available throughout the United States and a professional installer can have your barrier up in less than a day. Pool fencing comes in a variety of colors to meet backyard décor. Pool fencing laws are sweeping the nation and already exist in many of the Sun Belt states today. If you have a pool and young children, a removable pool safety fence is a MUST. 

Skimmer Lid - Is you skimmer lid safe? Often unnoticed and taken for granted, this can be one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment around your pool. Imagine walking or your kids playing around the skimmer lid. What would happen if the lid was old and someone stepped on it and it broke? If you’re lucky, it could just mean a bruise. If you’re not, perhaps a broken ankle or foot. What if someone stepped onto a bad lid, fell, hit their head, and fell into the pool? Not pretty things to think about...

The solution is simple. When was the last time you replaced your skimmer lid? Is it constantly exposed to extreme heat or cold conditions? If so, the plastic has most likely deteriorated and has caused structural damage. Another aspect to consider is that skimmer lids made 5 - 10 years ago were not designed with the safety requirements that are in affect today. If you were to look at an old skimmer lid compared to the exact same size made today, you will see notable differences in its design structure. Today, lids support a lot more weight. Take off your skimmer lid and check for any signs of deterioration. Try to bend and manipulate it. If there are any signs of cracks, replace it.

Suction Ports - One of the most dangerous areas on a pool are the Main Drain, Skimmer, and vacuum ports on a pool and/or attached spa. Every now and then you read a horror story about a young child playing at the bottom of a pool or spa and their hair or limbs get  sucked into the vacuum created by the pool pump. Under certain conditions, the suction from drains in swimming pools and spas can entrap swimmers underwater. There are devices that cover the main drain at the bottom of the pool and special side ports with hinges that seal off the suction port. Skimmers should always have a leaf basket in it to prevent someone from putting their hand into the suction area.

Entrapment Prevention!

• Replace old flat drain covers on the bottom of your pool. Never use a pool or spa with a missing or broken drain cover.
• Have a professional regularly inspect your pool or spa for entrapment or entanglement hazards. Ask them to clearly mark the location of the electrical cut-off switch for the pool or spa pump.
• Install a Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) to automatically shut off a pump if a blockage is detected.
• If someone is trapped against a drain, turn the off pump immediately.
• Pry a hand between the drain and the person’s body to break the seal, instead of trying to pull the person away from the powerful suction. 

Here Is A Simple Solution: Any time someone is in the pool, especially children, turn off the pump from the main power switch. The problem is now solved! Train your children to ask you to shut down the pool whenever they go in. The fact is, the pump does not have to be on when people are in the pool, even if the pool is heavily used in the course of a day. You can always turn the pump back on when everyone is out of the pool.

Electrical Connections - Take a close look at the pump area. Are there a lot of wires? Are any broken or exposed? If so, GET IT FIXED! There should be no open wires or exposed electrical boxes around this area. Open up your timer box. You will see a round wheel with an on and off switch. Do you see exposed wires beneath it? If you do, you stand the risk of getting a shock when you manually turn on and off the pump. Pool stores carry a plastic plate that covers this which costs less than $5.00. Quick! Run out and get one, NOW! Pool tech horror story: When I first began my job cleaning pools, over half of the 75 pools I serviced did not have a cover over the electrical wires in the timer box. When my filter-cleaning week came up, I was constantly receiving shocks. The next week, I put 40+ covers over all the exposed wires.

Safety Alarms - New technology offers a variety of pool alarms that attach to the side of your pool and go off whenever there is a sudden motion in the water. This is a great idea that should be on a pool that has children playing around it. The best alarms, however, are personal immersion alarms that a child wears on his wrist like a watch. When the wristband gets wet, the base station unit in the house alarms and alerts you that your child is in water. With these devices, you are protecting your child from ALL water hazards, including lakes, ponds, your pool, and even buckets filled with water. Also, personal immersion alarms are far less prone to false alarms than pool alarms that detect motion.

Automated Floor Vacuums - Should be removed so someone can’t get tangled in the hoses.

Drinking, Drugs, And Swimming - What can I say, it’s a baaaadd mix. Nuff’ said.

Pool Chemical Balance - In the Pool Chemistry section, I go over how to balance your chemicals properly. Of course, in the summer when the pool has a lot of activity, you have to keep a closer eye on the balance of the water, so be prepared to spend a little extra time ensuring chemicals aren’t overpowering. When I was on a swim team as a kid, I still remember the chlorine smell on my body, swimsuit, and towel. One summer, my sisters’ blonde hair actually turned green from being in the community pool constantly (as it turned out, it had a lot to do with copper piping and filter systems). Because I am so sensitive to the chlorine levels from my youth, believe it or not, I can put my arm in a pool, let the water dry, and in a few minutes tell you how much chlorine is in the pool!

Even with this article in hand and by going to the pool store for your pool water tests, understanding
the delicate balance of chlorine and pH may take awhile. This is one of the reasons I encourage becoming familiar with the maintenance. If there is a lot of activity in your pool in the summer, you may have to keep a closer eye on the chemicals twice a week instead of just once.

Signs Of Too Much Chlorine

Do you or your children come out of the pool smelling strongly of chlorine? Are their eyes bloodshot? Is their hair turning green? These are signs that there is too much chlorine in the pool.

Many state and federal regulations call for an allowable level of chlorine that is considered acceptable within an industry standard of 3.0 - 5.0. Personally, I don’t feel that this is for everyone and I ask my customers who use their pools frequently how they feel about the chlorine level. I prefer, but do not recommend, a setting around 2.5 - 4.0. Ask your pool store what the industry standards are for your state. This is the time to experiment if you feel the chlorine level is too strong.

Please refer to the section on pool chemistry for a more in depth explanation.

Teach Your Children Well - My sister and I were lucky when we were young. My mother took great interest ensuring we knew how to swim. We were also on the local swim team. Mom was always at our swim meets and as I came into my early teens, I knew that she trusted us and that we could handle ourselves in water.

However, she always made sure we never swam alone and that someone knew we were swimming. Although I never had a cramp while swimming, I remember seeing experienced swimmers at swim meets being rescued by lifeguards because an unexpected cramp hit them. Apparently, the pain is terrible and you can lose complete control of your swimming abilities. Having said that, make sure your kids don’t swim alone. Introduce your children to the pump area and explain to them how dangerous it can be to operate equipment without adult supervision. Remember, a few minutes of extra precaution cansave lives.

Swimming lessons - Moving to San Diego in the late 70s from the Chicago area, I was  astounded whenever I met locals who didn’t know how to swim. To me, with the ocean at their doorsteps, it was incomprehensible that their parents didn’t ensure their children had swimming lessons. The cost of a summer of swim lessons is a minor investment that guarantees your children always know how to handle themselves around water. Even if you only have community pool access, or they aren’t around water often, your children should have lessons. One of the things that upset me in life is to meet a grown adult who is scared of water. For your baby, look into infant survival training. Should your toddler make it through all the other layers of defense you have put in place, their ability to save themselves by rolling on their back or swimming to the edge could be the difference between life and death.

CPR Training - Your last layer of defense. Take the time to learn CPR and accident procedures. If not your own child, you may be able to save someone else’s. Many local hospitals have programs for this type of training.

Not So Fun Facts

Here are some facts uncovered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a comprehensive study of drowning and submersion incidents involving children under 5 years old in Arizona, California, and Florida.

• Seventy-fi ve percent of the submersion victims studied by CPSC were between 1 and 3 years old; 65 percent of this group were boys. Toddlers, in particular, often do something unexpected because their capabilities change daily.
• At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents. Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water.
• Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. Sixty- five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child’s family and 33 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.
• Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.
• Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.
• Child drowning is a silent death. There is no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.

Prevention Steps That Count

• Install anti-vortex drain covers. A simple retrofi t to install anti-entrapment covers will minimize the risk and protect both children and adults from body and hair entrapment in the suction outlets.
• Limit access to the pool with physical barriers.
• Install fences and walls at least 4-feet high completely around the pool.
• Use self-closing gates with the latch positioned high and out of reach of small children.
• If your house forms one side of the barrier for the pool, doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that sound when the doors are unexpectedly opened.
• Supervise young children.
• Knowing how to swim does not make a child drown-proof.
• Never use fl otation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Be prepared in case of emergency.
• Seconds count! If a child is missing, always look in the pool fi rst.
• Keep rescue equipment and a phone next to the pool.
• Take CPR lessons