May has been designated as National Water Safety Month, a topic that we take very importantly and urge homeowners to do the same. Swimming is extremely popular, especially in a warmer climate such as South Florida. The most important thing we stress at Treasure Pools is water safety. This month not only represents the joys of swimming but also the dangers and how to prevent a water-related tragedy. Here we share a few tips on how to stay safe.
The first item we push to homeowners is ensuring that all children at the home know how to swim. The lack of swimming ability is one of your top reasons for unintentional drownings. We recommend starting children in swimming lessons at a young age as it could very well save their lives one day. Children can drown in just two inches of water, making seemingly harmless areas of water a hazard to children. The lessons will provide the swimmer with the skills they need to enjoy swimming safely. When swimming or supervising swimmers, make sure to avoid distractions. This seems obvious, but there are so many ways in which someone can get distracted and it only takes a couple of seconds for something bad to happen.
Checklists are great ways to ensure that you are not missing any key components of water safety.
- Drains, Suction Fittings, and Jets –Current gates and covers help prevent body or hair entrapment. Make sure that drain covers meet the ANSI/ASME A112.19.8M standard. Safety doors should be installed in all pool cleaner wall suction lines. Pools, spas, or hot tubs with drain covers that are broken, missing, or not adequately secured should not be used until the proper replacement has been installed.
- Electrical Hazards – A licensed electrician, experienced in swimming pools and hot tubs, should inspect your equipment to make sure everything is properly grounded, bonded, and protected by proper GFCI circuits according to Article 680 of the National Electric Code.
- Warning Signs – Protect your family and guests. Make sure that all warning signs provided by the manufacturer, builder, or installer are displayed according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Last but not least, we urge you to continue having fun and enjoying your pool, especially as we kick off summer. Swimming is a great form of exercise and all ages can enjoy your swimming pool. Make sure to stay on top of the latest safety tips and ensure that your swimming pool provider follows all codes to help add layers of additional protection to prevent any accidents that may arise. Our team is always available to offer any guidance and help ensure your swimming pool is kept up-to-date with the best safety features. Safe swimming!!
