18 Steps to a Safer Backyard Pool

If you have a pool, you have a responsibility to safeguard it. There is no substitute for vigilant supervision. But there are additional steps you can and should take - including these.

Stay Close, Be Alert & Always Watch

1. Always designate an adult as supervisor. Never assume someone else is watching. Larger pools and large groups of children require more supervisors.
2. Keep a house phone or cell phone nearby when supervising kids in the pool. This way, you won't be tempted to leave the kids to answer the phone, and you can call for help if needed. Post emergency numbers close at hand.
3. Eliminate temptation - keep toys out of the pool and well away from the pool area when the pool is not in use.
4. Establish and enforce pool safety rules. Communicate pool safety with caregivers and visitors.
5. Adhere to strict diving rules (Diving accidents can result in life-long injuries). Never allow diving in above-ground pools, which are too shallow for safety. If you do have an in-ground pool, allow diving only from the diving board, not the sides of the pool.
6. Always choose a Coast Guard Approved life jacket as a floatation device. Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties.” They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children and parents a false sense of security.
7. A pool is the first place to look for a missing child. Walk around the entire perimeter of the pool to view all angles. Search under edges and into shadows. If you find a child in the water yell “help,” remove the child from the water, and instruct someone to call 9-1-1. If you are alone administer CPR for 1 minute, call 9-1-1, and resume CPR until help arrives.

Learn & Practice Water Safety Skills

8. Make sure your child learns how to swim, but never assume that he or she is safe in the water alone. Many parents overestimate their children's swimming competencies. Always, always supervise.
9. Learn CPR. If anyone else will be supervising kids in the pool, make sure they learn it, too. (Find a class in Temecula or with the Red Cross).
10. Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.

Have the Appropriate Equipment for Your Pool/Spa

11. Barricade the pool completely. Experts recommend a fence of at least 4 feet tall, with slats close enough together that kids can't squeeze between them. Make sure there are no handholds or footholds for agile climbers.
12. Secure the gate with a lock. The best gates are self-closing and self-latching. Position the latches well out of reach of children. Install an audible gate alarm that will alert you inside the house if the gate is opened.
13. Get an in-the-water pool alarm too - one that will alert you if anyone jumps or falls in the pool
14. In your home, secure doors and windows leading to the pool, so kids don't have access from inside the house.
15. Keep potential "step stools" away from the fence. That means storing patio chairs, planters, and other climbable items away from your outside perimeter.
16. Never leave the pool cover partially on when kids are swimming, because they might become trapped under it.
17. Remove pool steps and ladders when you're not using them.
18. Keep rescue equipment by the pool, such as a shepherd's hook (a long pole with a hook on the end) and life preserver.

Other Drowning Risks

Use the same care and precautions around bathtubs, spas, hot tubs, ponds, lakes, wading pools, or any other form of standing water in which a child’s mouth and nose can be submerged (toilet, bucket of water, etc.).

A backyard pool can be a delight. But for children - your own and your neighbors' - it can also be a dangerous temptation. Safeguard your pool, and your kids can enjoy it safely. Under your supervision, of course!