May is Water Safety Month!

Your swimming pool and spa should be a place of relaxation and fun, not a cause of worry.

Knowing the basics of pool safety, and following through on the safety measures, will transform your swimming pool and spa from a danger zone into a place of enjoyment!

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 260 children under five years of age drown each year in residential swimming pools and spas. The Commission estimates that another 3,000 children under age five are treated in hospital emergency rooms following submersion accidents each year.

Nationally, drowning is the fourth leading cause of death to children under five. In some states such as California, Florida and Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death to children under five. It is the second leading cause of death in children 12 and under.

CPSC offers the following tips for pool owners:

• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.
• Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant supervision.
• Do not consider young children "drown proof" because they have had swimming lessons; young children should always be watched carefully while swimming.
• Completely fence the pool. Install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position latches out of reach of young children. Keep all doors and windows leading to the pool area secure to prevent small children from getting to the pool. Effective barriers and locks are necessary preventive measures, but there is no substitute for supervision.
• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place, since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover completely.
• Place tables and chairs well away from the pool fence to prevent children from climbing into the pool area.
• Keep toys away from the pool area because a young child playing with the toys could accidentally fall in the water.
• Remove steps to above ground pools when not in use.
• Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate swimming lessons.
  
• Maintain a clean and chemically balanced pool.
• Have a telephone at poolside to avoid having to leave children unattended in or near the pool to answer a telephone elsewhere. Keep emergency numbers at the poolside telephone.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid.
• Keep rescue equipment by the pool.

Download a Water Safety Guidefrom the American Red Cross.