Swimming Pool Safety Tips

Learn how to make sure your swimming pool is safe this summer.

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Tips on Avoiding Crypto

Chlorine doesn't kill cryptosporidium. The parasite, which is called crypto for short, only has developed in the past couple decades. But the Centers for Disease Control says crypto cases have doubled in recent years.

Still, the thought of crypto doesn't have to ruin your pool plans. Some pools, for instance, are investing up to a quarter of a million dollars in equipment that kills crypto by hitting it with ultraviolet light.

Check out the tips below to learn how you can protect yourself.

Avoid swallowing pool water or getting it into your mouth
Do not swim if you have diarrhea
Take a thorough cleansing shower with soap before swimming
Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers
Take children on frequent bathroom breaks or check diapers often
Change diapers in a bathroom, not at poolside, and thoroughly clean diaper-changing area

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To learn more about how to keep your pool safe, visit healthyswimming.org. Finally, hot tubs can breed bacteria, too. The most common one causes a skin rash called dermatitis that is itchy and tender. It usually goes away in a few days, without requiring a visit to the doctor.

Additional Pool Safety Tips

Pool safety goes beyond sanitation.

The pool water should be clear, not cloudy and the tiles should not be slippery or slimy.

If you want to check up on your public pool and make sure it is properly chlorinated, you can buy chlorine test strips. Dip the strip in the water and, after a few seconds, it turns different colors to indicate whether the pool has proper chlorine and ph levels. This is the first year that all public pools in the country are required to have devices in place to protect people from being sucked into the pool drain.

Eighty-three people have been entrapped in the past decade by pool drains that exert a suction so strong even strong grown men can't break free. Not all pools have complied, some for budget reasons, so you need to ask whether your pool has taken the proper steps to protect you.