With the arrival of summer, many families are eager to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. One great way to soak up the sun is a backyard pool. Before diving in head first, it’s important to take safety into consideration to ensure a fun and worry-free swimming experience. By taking a few precautions you can create a safer environment for everyone and reduce the risk of accidents. Here are some valuable pool safety tips to keep your backyard pool safe this summer.

Use Non Slip Patio Materials

The type of material surrounding your pool can have a big impact on safety. Some materials like travertine and granite, which are waterproof and slip-resistant, can help avoid any unwanted falls or slips when around the pool.

Install A Pool Cover

Having sturdy pool cover when not in use is a great way to increase the safety of your backyard pool. A pool cover not only prevents people and animals from falling in, it helps keep out any unwanted debris that might float in the water.

Fence Around Pool

Fencing around a pool is a more permanent solution to safety but is one of the most important. Fencing can take many forms such as hardscaping stone fences, glass fences or standard iron fences. Some key safety features to consider when installing a pool fence are making sure it is at least 4 feet high, has a self-latching gate and is free from climbing aids like nearby furniture. Fences secure your pool and can significantly reduce the risk of accidents by preventing unsupervised access.

Pool Safety Equipment and First Aid

In case of a pool emergency, keeping floatation devices like lifejackets, safety rings and floating pool safety rope near the swimming area can be key. Having emergency medical equipment such as an AED or first aid kit nearby are great additional resources to have if needed.

Store chemicals safely

Pool chemicals are an often overlooked but highly dangerous part of owning a pool. Pools use chemicals like chlorine, bromine, cyanuric acid, calcium chloride and shock. Chemicals are used to keep bacteria and algae at bay. While pool chemicals are necessary to keep the pool water crystal clear, the chemicals can present inhalation and exposure hazards. Making sure chemicals are kept locked up and only used by responsible adults can make a big difference in stopping harmful contamination.

Learn Swimming and Water Safety

The final step in pool safety is something every family can do personally to increase their knowledge and safety of using a pool. Pool safety for adults is just as important as pool safety for kids. Enrolling both children and adults in swimming lessons is a great investment in pool safety. Ensuring everyone who uses the pool knows how to swim and basic water safety skills can make a huge impact on reducing accidents. By prioritizing swimming safe and water safety skills, you empower individuals to be confident and responsible in and around the pool.

Safety should be a top priority when opening the pool back up for the summer. By installing sturdy fencing, using non-slip patio surfaces, storing chemicals properly and increasing pool safety knowledge you can create a secure environment for everyone. Use these helpful tips to increase your safety and maximize your summer fun.