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Pool
Safety For Children
A swimming pool in the
yard can be very dangerous for children. If possible, do not put a
swimming pool in your yard until your children are older than 5 years.
If you already have a pool, protect your children from drowning by doing
the following:
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Never leave your
children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.
-
You must put up a fence
to separate your house from the pool. Most young children who drown
in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a
fence at least 4 feet high around all 4 sides of the pool. This
fence will completely separate the pool from the house and play area
of the yard. Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches
higher than your children's reach.
-
A power safety cover
that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) adds to the protection of your children but should
not be used in place of the fence between your house and the pool.
Even fencing around your pool and using a power safety cover will
not prevent all drownings.
-
Keep rescue equipment
(such as a shepherd's hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the
pool.
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Do not let your child
use air-filled "swimming aids" because they are not a
substitute for approved life vests and can be dangerous.
-
Anyone watching young
children around a pool should learn CPR and be able to rescue a
child if needed. Stay within an arm's length of your child.
-
Remove all toys from the
pool after use so children aren't tempted to reach for them.
-
After the children are
done swimming, secure the pool so they can't get back into it.
Remember, teaching your
child how to swim DOES NOT mean your child is safe in water
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