Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Tips

Every year approximately 300 children under the age of 5 years old drown  from swimming pools and spas. Thousands more are hospitalized and many of these accidents could have been prevented. Pool and spa submersion's and drownings happen quickly, especially when they involve children.

A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a telephone. Be alert to the hazards of drownings, non-fatal submersion injuries and drain entrapments—and how to prevent them.

To improve pool and spa safety, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched Pool Safely: Simple Steps to Save Lives, a national public education campaign to reduce childhood drownings, submersion injuries and entrapment's.

• Pool submersion's involving children happen quickly. Supervision is a must
• Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water.
• Child drowning is a silent death. There’s no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.
• Barriers are not childproof, but they provide layers of protection for a child who strays from supervision.
• The fence or other barrier should be at least 4 feet high.
• Vertical fence slats should be less than 4 inches apart to prevent a child from squeezing through.
• If the fence is chain link, then no part of the diamond-shaped opening should be larger than 1-3/4 inches.
• Doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce an audible sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.
• Install an alarm that can be temporarily turned off by an adult for a single opening of the door by using a keypad or switch that is out of a child’s reach.
• Power safety covers over the pool may be used as an alternative to door alarms.
• Steps and ladders leading from the ground to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.

These resources are available in hard copy and can be ordered by sending the Pool Safely Materials order form to poolsafely@cpsc.gov.

If you or someone you know is consider buying or selling a home in Leander, Cedar Park or Northwest Austin I welcome the opportunity to meet with you or them.

Call Bob Ratliff 512-587-5689