If you’re a pool owner, you know that some of the best days of the year are those spent swimming and playing in your backyard swimming pool. However, tragically every year there are drownings associated with water-related recreational activities.
To help draw attention to the risks and to the ways to minimize them, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (formerly the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals) designates May as National Water Safety Month. The observance, which is supported by the National Recreation & Parks Association, the American Red Cross, and the World Waterpark Association, is a great reminder to all of us as we splash into pool season that a focus on safety is critical.
Some Sobering Statistics
As a leading supplier of pools and pool products for more than 65 years, we love helping people build pools where they will have endless hours of fun. However, it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge that pool ownership comes with some serious responsibilities.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide in their “Dangerous Waters” report:
- The greatest number and highest rate of drowning (in any setting) occur among those under the age of 5
- More than 7 out of 10 fatal pool drownings in children from 2005 to 2014 occurred among those under age 5
- It is likely the increased curiosity and mobility of 1_4 year olds that explains their increased risk of drowning in this setting
- Lack of supervision and failure of physical barriers were key factors in many of the fatal pool drownings examined by child death review teams
Your Pool: Closely Supervised or Safely Covered
There are two primary ways to ensure the safety of anyone in or around your pool:
- Close, uninterrupted supervision by a responsible adult
- Effective barriers. As for barriers, while there is no “perfect” safety measure, studies have shown that pool safety covers are by far one of the most effective (the other being alarms). In one review of drowning data where barriers were breached, measures like fences, gates, and doors were implicated in 27, 22, and 19 percent of deaths respectively. In contrast, pool covers were breached resulting in just 1.7 percent of fatalities.
Looking even more closely at covers, the ability to put an automatic pool safety cover in place with just the flip of a switch helps ensure that it is deployed whenever the pool is not in use. Manual safety covers require some time and effort to put in place, and human nature being what it is, there will be times when a pool that should be covered is not.
As we observe National Water Safety Month, we encourage all pool owners to consider installing an automatic safety cover — whether provided by us or any other vendor. Covers can be included as part of a new pool install or added to existing pools. And the high quality materials and craftsmanship used in these units means they will provide years of outstanding operation.
Helping Customers Maximize the Safety and Enjoyment of Their Pools
Wondering what’s involved in having an automatic pool safety cover installed? Don’t wait. Contact a local independent Latham Independent Builder in your area today. There are many benefits — from safety to cost-savings — a cover can provide.
Join the discussion