About 300 children under 5 die each year in swimming pools. An even more sobering fact is that most were under adult supervision at the time. Protect your children from drowning with these eight simple rules for a kid-safe pool:
Never let a child out of your sight in or near the pool, period. Not even for a second.
Pools should be completely surrounded by fencing material at least 4 feet tall, and gates should be self-closing and self-locking, with the latch out of the child’s reach.
Never leave furniture near the fence that would allow a child to climb over into the pool area.
Swimming aids, such as inflatable “floaties,” cannot be trusted to prevent drowning. Always make small children wear life vests.
Remove all toys from the pool after use so children won’t be tempted to reach for them and fall in.
Place a motor-powered safety cover over the water when the pool isn’t in use.
Always keep rescue equipment (a pole, rope or personal flotation device) beside the pool and make sure you know how to use it.
Install a telephone or keep a cordless phone in the pool area for emergency 911 calls.
