Category Archives: water safety

May is National Pool Safety Month

Pool ownership is sure to bring laughs, good times and great memories. But with pool ownership also comes great responsibility. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children aged 1 to 4. According to the Centers for Disease Control, three children die daily due to drowning. 

These sobering statistics aren’t intended to drive homeowners away from pool ownership, but rather bring attention to the continued need for pool safety. With May being National Pool Safety Month, it’s the perfect time to reiterate necessary safety measures designed to keep your kids safe in and near the water. 

What Does Drowning Look Like?

Forget everything you’ve seen in the movies because drowning looks nothing like it. Drowning happens within seconds, it is silent and it doesn’t discriminate. While we all want to believe that something of this nature will never happen to us, there is never a guarantee. Yet, if we understand the prevalence of drowning and know successful ways to combat it, then how come it remains a leading cause of death in our children? 

The short answer is complacency. We’re all guilty of thinking the unfathomable can’t happen to us, so we forgo the necessary steps to equip our pools, ourselves and our children with proven layers of protection that can help provide safety of some capacity in dangerous situations or when an unexpected lapse of adult supervision occurs. Did you know that most drownings occur during non-swim times? That means drownings happen when children aren’t even in their swimming suits planning on or already swimming. 

Practice the Layers of Protection

Below are important layers of protection and safety tips to consider implementing to stay safe in and around water:

1. Never leave a child unattended in or near the water. Children are generally curious whether they are outside playing, running through the house or out by the pool. Make sure there is always one person whose sole responsibility is watching a child in or near the water. That means no smart devices, books being read or focused on anyone else. This designated water watcher has the responsibility to watch the kids at all times. 

2. Enroll children in survival swimming lessons. Survival swimming is a child’s ability to float and breathe regardless of the water’s depth for an indefinite amount of time. Survival swim means your child, beginning at the age of six months old, can roll-back-to-float position and get themselves to the pool’s edge or staircase where they can get out of the water on their own or wait to be rescued.

3. Teach children to stay away from drains while in a pool or hot tub; and ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers. The vacuum effect of a pool or hot tub drain is strong enough to hold swimmers, especially children, underwater at the bottom of a pool either by their skin or their hair. Old covers are flat allowing a body to completely enclose the drain cover while new covers are rounded and unable to be completely covered by the body. Make sure your pool drain cover and other pools you visit are VGB-compliant.

4. Install pool barriers. Barriers like fencing, a pool cover and pool alarms are imperative in buying time should there be a lapse in supervision. Be sure to equip your pool and pool area with fences, covers and alarms that meet regulations. 

5. Know CPR. Parents, grandparents, child care providers, older siblings, and anyone who is responsible for watching kids should know how to provide rescue techniques like CPR in response to an emergency.   

6. Sign the Pool Safely Pledge. Be proactive in keeping everyone safe in and around the water by signing this online call to action. 

Your Lakeway Pool Company
As a leading pool company in Lakeway, the entire team at Easy Pools is excited to bring your backyard vision to life and help create and care for a space that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come. We remain dedicated to pool safety and encourage all of our clients to keep their pool environment safe in every way possible. 

About the Company

Easy Pools is a Central Texas pool maintenance company that has been providing Austin, Lakeway, Marble Falls and the surrounding areas with all of its pool care needs since 2007. As a leading pool company in the area, Easy Pools offers a number of services, specializing in pool service & maintenance, pool construction & remodels, and pool repairs

Easy Pools is dedicated to “the easy pool experience,” whether it’s new pool construction or regular pool maintenance. Easy Pools is built around value, with a goal to provide residential and commercial clients with the best information, quality materials and equipment, and innovative pool design. 

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Houzz. Contact us today to learn more about why Easy Pools remains the leading pool company in Central Texas

MAY IS WATER SAFETY MONTH

MAY 2015 BLOG – MAY IS WATER SAFETY MONTH

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The sun is shinning, the flowers are blooming and the sounds of children splashing in the pool have returned! I know I count down the days until I can throw my favorite swim suit on, grab my beach towel, and slip on my flip-flops…destination – poolside! Many of our favorite and most memorable summer pastimes are spent at the beach lakes, rivers and swimming pools. For most Americans, May is the first month we can finally hang up that winter coat and catch some rays, which makes sense as to why May is National Water Safety month. But don’t run to the nearest body of water without following these simple steps first!

EASY POOLS – WATER SAFETY RULES

  1. Never swim alone!
  2. If you don’t know how to swim, only swim with an adult who does.
  3. If possible only swim when a lifeguard is present.
  4. Wear a lifejacket or other life saving device approved by the United States Coast Guard.
  5. Only swim in places meant for swimming: pools, lakes, beaches. Avoid dams, swamps, and rapids. Never dive into water where you can’t see the bottom.
  6. If you see someone drowning, find a lifeguard or an adult who knows how to swim. Do not save anyone on your own, unless there is a flotation device near by that you can throw to the victim.
  7. Never pretend to drown.
  8. Never eat food or chew gum while swimming.
  9. Never push your friends in the water!
  10. Learn to swim!!

Many national organizations take water safety month very seriously and proactively promote the program on both a local and national level. The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals and its partners, the American Red Cross, the World Waterpark Association, and the National Recreation & Park Association will be building national awareness of this safety campaign with educational programs, public service announcements, governmental proclamations, dealer and business promotions, and the distribution of water-safety-themed materials to the public and participating organizations. You can learn more by visiting http://www.nationalwatersafetymonth.org/Consumers/SafetyTips.aspx