Look at these headlines recently appearing in several prominent newspapers:
-
CHILD DROWNS IN A LOCAL POOL (...Police are investigating the drowning death of a two-year-old boy found floating in a green backyard pool Wednesday morning...)
-
GIRL DROWNS DURING POOL PARTY (A five-year-old local girl has died after being pulled from a backyard swimming pool during a party...)
-
YOUNG TWINS DROWN IN LYNNFIELD (July 18, 2010 ...Two toddlers, identical twin sisters, fell into the swimming pool behind their family's home and drowned yesterday morning, leaving their parents in shock and devastating rescuers and neighbors...)
Let's face it...you work hard and save to have a swimming pool installed in your yard. Not only is this fashionable, it's a real opportunity for healthy recreation, exercise, and fun for your family. You are instructed on how to care for your pool, how to service it, protect it, fill it, add chemicals to it, clean it, empty it, and store it. But many times you're not told how to operate it safely, and that is specifically the focus of this site.
Welcome to Poolstuff.info, the place where backyard swimming pool owners can get free instruction on how to operate their pools and spas safely. We will teach you what many pool and spa salesmen and installers fail to do...how to keep you, your family and friends safe when using your facility.
As you read through these pages you will learn how safety affects every aspect of operating your pool. First, you will learn how to open your pool each season, what to inspect, and how to make sure the pool and associated equipment is safe for use by your family. We'll discuss how your pool should be safely enclosed (i.e., preferred fence and gate requirements). Since most accidents around a pool involve young children, we'll also discuss alarms, alerts, warning signs, emergency contact lists and things you can teach your children about being safe around water.
We'll discuss how to recognize when someone in the water is really in trouble of drowning and what you should be doing if you suspect it. In fact, you will learn what drowning is all about as well as what the health professionals say you should know (like CPR).
We'll also touch on hot tub safety, things you need to know if you have one, as well as how to handle pool and hot tub chemicals safely. Finally, we will guide you in closing your pool at the end of the swimming season so you can be assured that it is safe for "inquisitive" children and neighbors.
Remember, operating a swimming pool or hot tub is much more involved than can be covered here so always consult your pool/hot tub professional for details about equipment, service, proper application and storage of chemicals, and where to purchase safety equipment.
So, if you are ready to learn how to operate your pool safely, if you want to prevent another child from drowning, and if you are ready to start now, then take some time and read through this site. Also, if you know of someone who has children and a pool or hot tub in their yard (size does not matter) please, please tell them about Poolstuff.info.
Now, go start learning how to make your pool safe! It's FREE and it's for YOU!
Thank you for visiting.
Yes, it's Summer and you have your pool up and running. Hopefully, you performed a thorough inspection of your swimming pool before you started using it. If you didn't, it's not too late. Use our checklist ( Click here) and take stock of what you have. Nearly all swimming pools operate the same way: you fill them with water, you may put some type of chemical in the water to condition and sanitize it, (though sometimes an in-line sanitizing device may be used), the water is pumped through a filter where large particles of dirt and other foreign matter is removed, then the water may be heated, and returned back to the pool. It's an easy system. Again, use our inspection checklist to help keep your pool safe and healthy for the enjoyment of your family and friends. In fact, you should perform this inspection periodically throughout the swimming season.
First, walk around the outside of the pool area. Look at the enclosure to make sure it's still effective. Then go inside the enclosure and examine the inside of the pool area. Look for any possible tripping hazards, equipment in the wrong place, rocks or other materials with sharp edges. If you have a diving board, examine the supports closely. Make sure there are no loose or missing parts. Identify and eliminate any sharp edges. Do the same for any other installed structures around the pool (e.g., slides, chairs, exit ladders, etc.). ...more
TIP OF THE MONTH Parents, do you frequently use swim diapers on your infants and toddlers to prevent “accidents” in your swimming pool? If so, you’re no different than many other parents who try to do what is best for their children and their pool. However, you might be interested in the results of a study on the effectiveness of swim diapers, recently conducted by scientists at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The study determined that the use of swim diapers may not be as effective as once thought in preventing fecal matter (and possibly water-borne contaminants) from entering the pool. Bottom line: if your children are sick and you suspect diarrhea is involved, do not let them into your swimming pool. (Click here to read about the swim diaper study).
KNOW HOW TO SWIM
If there is one thing you do for your family this year... make sure everyone knows how to swim.
This is what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us:
| Children under five and adolescents between the ages of 15-24 have the highest drowning rates. |
| Fatal drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years. |
| On average, in the U.S., 300 children die in swimming pools and hot tubs each year. |
| More than half of the yearly drownings occur in the child's home pool, and one-third occur at the homes of friends, neighbors or relatives. |
| Most children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning. - Orange County, CA, Fire Authority |
| A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child age 4 and under. - Orange County, CA, Fire Authority |
| Alcohol use is involved in up to half of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation. |
Click here for a list of agencies and organizations that offer swimming lessons.
DID YOU KNOW... 
Swimming is the third most popular recreational activity for all individuals in the U.S. and the most popular recreational activity for children. Water-based exercise offers numerous health benefits, but is also associated with health risks (for example, diarrhea, drowning, and sunburn). For swimmers and hot tub users to enjoy a safe recreational water experience, it is important for them to know how to protect themselves and others from potential health hazards. (Source - U.S. CDC)
TRUSTED SITES
Swimmers & Runners...
Working hard to get back in shape, but not getting the results you want?
Tired of trying?
Are you finally ready for some serious, personal fitness training and/or sports counseling?
Please visit the following sites: