This weekend, our clocks "spring" forward an hour. We may lose an hour of precious sleep, but we gain an hour of equally precious daylight which means spring & summer are just around the corner!
For homeowners with pools, this means the opening of their pool is soon approaching! Most use Memorial Day as the sign it is time to open the pool. For some, the weather is the deciding factor. In North Carolina, the end of May may be to warm to just start opening your pool.
Pool Safety!
Your families safety should be a way of everyday thinking, especially when it comes to a pool.
- Nearly, 300 children DIE every year in pools & spas in the US. It is the LEADING CAUSE of accidental DEATH for preschoolers
- 3000 kids are injured every year in the US in pools & spas
- 54% of these water hazard injuries happen AT HOME!
Drowning is a major cause of accidental deaths among children 1-5 years of age. If your child is in this group of age, the risk that this kind of tragedy occurs is too high to not take it into account.
- What about watching? For the most part, the children who drowned in residential swimming pool were supervised by an adult at that time.
- What occurred? There was a lapse of concentration to go to the bathroom or talk on the phone. Children left unsupervised for just a few seconds can have deadly affects. Kids made the most of this situation & fall in the pool. A careless mistake & you lose your child.
- How long does it take? A couple of minutes, the time to answer a phone call , somebody who knocks at the door & the tragedy happen.
How to escape the worst?
- SUPERVISON
No additionnal device required. YOU MUST ALWAYS keep an eye on your children when they are in or around the pool. - SWIMMING POOL ENCLOSURES
Pool safety fences or barriers allow to separate your pool & your house. Fencing systems are available in a wide range of material & colors to fit with your backyard. Removable mesh fencing is also a good deal. Keep in mind that to be effective, this safety equipment must meet American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) Specifications F-2286 standards & used in with a gate that is self-closing & self-latching & can accommodate a key lockable device. - COVER YOUR POOL
The swimming pool should be covered with a Pool Safety Cover/Pool Safety Net. All the Safety Covers & Nets meet the ASTM Specifications F1346.
The choices are: Pool safety nets; pool safety solid covers, pool safety mesh covers & automatic pool safety covers. You should have no problem finding a cover to suit your needs. - PLACE ALARM
Swimming pool alarms when placed in pools will sound when accident or unauthorized access into the water is detected. To be powerful, pool alarms shall meet & be independently certified to the ASTM Standard F 2208 "Standards Specification for Pool Alarms".
12 Pool Safety Tips
It only takes a few seconds for a child to drown, in just a few inches of water. In the few seconds it takes to answer the phone, your child can drown! It is, that quick.
The key word is SUPERVISION: Never leave a child alone in or around a swimming pool or spa!
- Floatation devices DO NOT replace SUPERVISION!
- Maintian a clear view of the pool by removing large toys not in use from the pool
- DO NOT allow toddlers to DIVE in the pool!
- DO NOT allow RUNNING around the pool! Wet slippery surface is a mix for dangerous head injuries, broken bones or worse, could hit their head & fall into the pool unconscience!
- Keep a cell or cordless phone nearby in case of emergency.
- NEVER swim in bad weather!
- Completely remove the pool cover before swimming (this seems obvious, but some only remove the cover over the shallow end & kids get trapped).
- Keep areas surround pool clear of mess/clutter.
- Inform babysitters/frequent guests about pool safety
- Use pool security when not in use
- Learn CPR
- Teach all children how to swim as soon as possible
At the time of this posting, there were 101 homes with inground pools 2-6 bedrooms $54,900-$1,750,000.
and 57 homes with above ground pools 3-5 bedroom $58,000-$899,000 in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg/Cumberland County & surrounding areas.
I am a homeowner with a pool & I have a 10 year old son who has been swimming in it since he was 3 months old. If you are interested in purchasing a home with a pool, please contact me for more information. If you have questions or concerns or are a new homeowner with a pool & need to get your water tested (if your pool is cloudy or green, you need to get your water tested to get your chemicals balanced) & don't know where to go, please feel free to contact me.
Last year, I opened our pool on May 2. I use an awesome company called Crystal Clear Pools & Spas (910-237-8473). Wayne is my "guy" and he is AWESOME!
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