Pool Safety: Summer’s #1 priority
I didn’t really think about pool safety until I moved into a house with a pool. Having two toddlers, an in ground pool felt terrifying, but every parent should be concerned with pool safety. I started shopping pool fences but every road led to Life Saver pool fence.
I could spend this review telling you how amazing a Life Saver pool fence is. They are easy to remove and made of Textilene® for all weather conditions and a strength rating of 387 lbs per square inch. They are made of triple-Reinforced steel poles and have self-closing and self-latching gate options. They have tension-based support providing superior stability, no sharp edges, and UV resistant components. We had ours installed in October and have had major storms and toddler strength tests. The Life Saver fence is in perfect condition. They also somehow blend in. I was surprised how little I noticed it once it was installed.
The real stand out qualities about Life Saver are:
- How much relief I feel having it. It allows me to breathe, even just slightly, when my kids are in the yard.
- The INCREDIBLE customer service. They walked me through the entire process and the local dealer, Terry Cheramie, was knowledgeable, quick, and cared so much about creating a safe and beautiful fence for us.
I was able to talk with Eric Lupton, the president of Life Saver, and instead of quizzing me about how I might represent his brand, he offered resources about how to keep kids safe. His passion for pool safety is infectious, and I found myself wanting to focus this piece on what is most important: saving the lives of kids.
These are the water safety tips he provided. We have followed them and will continue to. I suggest you do as well, regardless of if you own a pool. It takes a split second to lose a child, following these cane mean the difference between life and death.
In 1987, Life Saver coined the phrase “layers of protection” to describe the most effective way to prevent drownings. Almost 30 years later, everyone (including the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance) recommends layers of protection.
Five point five key layers of protection are:
1. Parent supervision
Nothing beats parent supervision. Proactive parent supervision is your most important tool in drowning prevention. When using the pool, active supervision means sitting close to the pool with your full attention on the child/children — no reading, no texting, just watching the pool. At parties/events, we recommend designating a person as a Water Watcher (we offer lanyards and whistles to give to the person to denote them), and change shifts every 15 minutes. Most drownings occur, though, when the child was thought to be in the house, nowhere near the pool area. In 67% of fatal drowning cases, a parent was responsible for supervising the child. So, supervision can and does fail, and that’s why you need additional layers of protection.
2. High locks on all doors and windows.
Locks out of the reach of children should be installed, and used, on every door and window that leads to the pool area. Lots of drownings happen because a parent didn’t know that the child had figured out the door knob, so don’t rely on the door being shut. Also, close up any doggy/pet doors that access the pool. Lots of children who drown got to the pool via a doggy door.
3. Pool Safety Fence
Pool fencing is the only layer of protection that physically isolates the backyard from the pool. Pool fences should be at least 4′ tall and have a self-closing, self-latching gate. Mesh pool safety fence, like Life Saver Pool Fence, has proven to be an effective layer of protection for over 45 years. It’s very transparent, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to remove when entertaining only adults.
4. Alarms
Drowning is silent. Alarms break that silence. There are door/window alarms, alarms that sit in the pool, and our favorite, the Safety Turtle which is worn on the child. If the child falls into the pool, an alarm inside that house goes off.
5. Swimming Lessons
All children should receive swimming lessons as early as their parents and pediatricians feel comfortable. Swimming lessons can begin earlier than one might think, some organizations training even infants to roll over and float, and to swim to the edge of the pool in the event that they fall in.
5.5 CPR
And if all of the other layers of protection fail, parents should be trained in CPR. Knowledge of CPR can make the difference between life, permanent disability, and death.
Overall thoughts: Water safety should be paramount to all parents. Follow these tips and if you are installing a pool fence- Life Saver is the way to go. If you are in Louisiana and installing a pool fence call or email Terry- lapoolfence@aol.com 985-397-1785
Please reach out with questions. This is the most important piece I have ever written and if it keeps one child safe it will be worth every word.