Pool-related injuries are common during the summer in Florida. With the high temperatures and easy access to pools — at home, at the neighbors, at the park, etc — it seems like many people spend most of the summer months searching for a way to cool off.
This lifestyle can be fun for both adults and children. However, it also comes with risks. This type of exposure to an activity that can be fatal increases the odds that someone will at least end up in the hospital. To prevent that, use these pool safety tips:
- Actively teach kids to swim before going to public pools.
- Even if kids know how to swim, make sure an adult is watching them at all times.
- Teach kids about common hazards to avoid, such as pool drains.
- Make sure that a home pool has the proper safety equipment, which could include a fence, a gate, drain covers, lights, cameras and an alarm system.
- Learn about life-saving tactics, like CPR, in advance. In a best-case scenario, you never have to use it, but at least you’ll know it if you do.
- Understand the differences in CPR for children and adults.
- Talk to kids about general safety: No running, no pushing, no fighting, no horseplay and no dangerous challenges.
Your goal should be to enjoy and respect the water at the same time. You can then teach this same mindset to your children.
Unfortunately, this does not guarantee that you or your kids will not get injured in a pool this summer. If you do, make sure you know what legal options you have.
