A Pool Fence and a Pool Alarm Can Prevent Unnecessary Accidents

Most people would never dream of having a loaded gun on the coffee table within reach of their child. Most people would never leave a lit candle low enough for their child to play with. But they may very well have loaded gun, in a sense, in their backyards. There are almost nine hundred unintentional drownings of children under age fourteen each year in the United States alone, and most of those occur in residential swimming pools. It is tragic for those families who have lost loved ones, but it need not happen to you. You can greatly reduce your risk of accident by installing a pool fence and pool alarm.

As much as we would all like to, we cannot watch our children one hundred percent of the time. Most people do not realize that a large percentage of drownings occur when parents think their child is elsewhere. They think they are napping or in the front yard. Their child may have wandered off to the water without anyone realizing it. This happens; pools are like magnets to children. As much as you warn them not to, they will want to explore it. And they will want to explore it without you. To prevent this, a system of barriers is essential.

There are various barriers you can put in place, and each adds another level of security. While the barriers do not replace the most important component of your child’s safety, you, they can help pick up the slack when you cannot be in five places at once. Many states require that homes with swimming pools have one of the following:

A pool fence with a self-latching closure higher than fifty-four inches
An approved pool covering, such as a net
An approved pool alarm
Locks or closures on all windows or doors that provide direct access to the pool

If you have children, you might want to consider having all of these in place. A pool alarm can be especially helpful, but again, it is only a piece of your overall protection system. They are available for use on the deck for in-ground and above-ground pools, on doors that provide direct access to the pool from the house, or on the gate. This will warn you if your child has exited the house or has stepped near the pool.

If you hear the alarm sounding, you can react instantly. Children who are found in water within two minutes typically escape lasting damage. If one of your other barriers fail – such as if someone leaves the gate open – then an alarm can literally save a life.

For any barrier to be effective, you must be committed to using it consistently. A gate only works when it is closed, and an alarm only sounds when it is activated. Your child will only be safe if you take action to ensure that he is safe. While pools are great for recreation and exercise, they pose a very real risk for children. As soon as you break ground for your new pool or move into a home with a pool, invest in safety equipment. You will never regret buying it.

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