Summer means pool parties and fun. It is also the time of the year, when kids get a passage to plunge into the home pool. However, with fun, pool also bears the risk of heartaches from drowning and other injuries. Particularly children are at greater risk. Australia, hosts the highest number of pools per home ownership and also a high record of toddler and child drowning, with Queensland being the state to record the highest number of drowning cases as of now. As a result, legislation is at hand to tighten up the situation with strict nation-wide pool safety rules and regulations. If you own a pool, you have to follow strict pool safety laws particularly if you are living in South Australia. It is your responsibility to make the changes or else you will encounter repercussions. Let us take a look at some effective child safety tips that you can follow to avoid any summer mishaps and tragedies.
Educate You Child on Pool Safety Laws
Clarify your child about the risks of drowning and train them to swim properly while instructing them with all kinds of water safety rules and regulations. You can get them into swimming classes where they can learn swimming and learn about water safety available from the municipal swimming pool operators.
Pool should be on Sight
Make sure that the pool is constructed in such a way that it can be monitored from a designated family area. It should be constructed with doorway that leads to the yard for quick accessibility. When constructing a home, this should be addressed beforehand. If you have already build a home you should have security cameras installed for careful monitoring for your child safety. The cameras should be installed in the room from where you can get access to the yard.
Pool Fences should not Just be a Compulsory Feature
According to the new pool laws in South Australia, fencing a pool is compulsory. Where it is not required by law, common sense should prevail and pool owners should take the responsibility to have them installed. According to the standard rules, it should be around 4 feet tall and should come with the features to lock them up. You can get them in varieties of styles and shapes to make your yard look appealing in the process too. Ideally, an alarm should also be fitted to alert the others when someone opens the gate. It is your responsibility to keep your pool safe and you are in charge.
Proper Usage of pool Safety Signage
Pool is an attractive feature of any household. From friends, to relatives and particularly kids are all equally psyched to dip in a pool and relax. However, it is you’re your responsibility to implement pool safety steps and let your guests know about the drowning hazards of a pool. It is best to have a sign posted every 15-20 feet away. You also should have one erected at the entrance of the pool.
Maintaining Proper Depth in Your Pool
Just like the municipal swimming pools, you should have a deep and shallow end to your pool too. The pool should have a shallow side for the children to stand with their head well above the water. As an added safety tip, you should add a signage that emphasises on swimmers not dive into the shallow end.