Inground Pool Safety Covers

By Robert B.

Young children are irresistibly drawn to water, and tragically, around 350 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools each year. But even if you don't have a swimming pool, your young children may not be safe from drowning.

At next month's World Congress on Drowning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) presented data showing that about one-third as many children (an average of about 115 annually) drown from other hazards around the home as do in pools.

CPSC has received reports of 459 young children who drowned in bathtubs, buckets, toilets, spas, hot tubs and other containers of water in a 4-year period between 1996 and 1999.

Consumers with residential pools need to be aware of all the safety tips regarding in-home hazards, and also be aware of how to protect young children from the dangers a pool poses.

The key to preventing a swimming pool tragedy is to have layers of protection. This includes placing barriers around your pool to prevent access, having above ground or inground pool safety covers, using swimming pool door alarms, closely supervising your child and being prepared in case of an emergency. CPSC offers these tips to prevent pool drowning:

Fences and walls should not be shorter than 4 feet high and installed completely around the pool. Fence gates should open outward from the pool and should be self closing and self latching. The latch should always be out of a small child's reach.
If your house forms one side of the barrier to the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with swimming pool door alarms that produce a sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.
Keep rescue equipment near the pool and be sure a phone is poolside with emergency numbers posted.
Power inground pool safety covers -- a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the water area can be used when the pool is not in use.
For above-ground swimming pools, ladders and steps to the pool should be secured and locked, or even removed when the pool is not in use.
If a child is missing, immediately look in the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
Also, swimming pool door alarms and water movement alarms can be used as an added precaution.

Whatever methods you choose, be sure to use many layers of defense. Inground pool safety covers alone can’t save your child, so be ready and be prepared.

Also see roll up pool covers .

CPSC warns that drownings can be prevented with inground pool safety covers

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