Keeping Kids Safe: Swimming Pool Safety Tips
Swimming lessons are just one way to keep kids safe.
— June 18, 2010 -- On "Good Morning America" this morning, Dr. Richard Besser reported about the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) recommendations to teach toddlers how to swim. The AAP also offers these additional tips to keep your child safe near a pool.
If you have a pool, follow these simple rules:
Keep toys away from the pool when the pool is not in use.
Deflate blow-up pools after each use.
Do not put moving toys, like tricycles, near the pool.
Do not put electrical appliances near the pool.
No diving in a shallow pool.
No running on the pool deck.
Installing a pool fence may be another safety measure combined with watching kids while they are swimming.
The AAP recommends that pool fences should:
Not be easy to climb, and should not have anything alongside the fence, such as lawn furniture, that can be used to climb it.
Be at least 4 feet high and have no footholds or handholds that could help a child climb it.
Other safety measures besides a pool fence may include:
Automatic pool covers
Door alarms
Doors to the house that automatically lock
Window guards
Pool alarms
For more pool safety tips, visit HealthyChildren.org.