Almost everyone loves to swim in the pool. It’s the perfect way to refresh and cool down from the scorching heat. It works as cardio and endurance training workout. However, don’t let the bright blue water overwhelm you with not having a better judgment. For your information, not all swimming pools are made equal.Some may even put you and your loved ones in the emergency room if you’re being not cautious.
Before you take a dip and slather some sunscreen, make sure you read this article first. Here are some things to watch for that might appear like a day of summer fun but will only bring huge trouble.
1. Drowning in young children is silent
Drowning is the major cause of injury-related deaths among young kids according to the data of CDC. It is crucial that you know how to identify it when it happens. We usually assume that when someone is failing to breathe and is screaming for help, they are drowning. The truth is, drowning is a silent killer. According to Safe Kids Worldwide and Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program, they found out drowning is fast and doesn’t make any sounds.
Young children will display small movements in their arms and legs. It will take only little time to gasp for quick air. They don’t have enough time to breathe or even scream before they go below. And take note that this all occurs in a matter of minutes. So when your kids are in the pool, be a responsible parent. Maybe it’s time to buy your kid a personalised swim cap. You can enroll them on swimming classes, right?
2. The pool’s water is cloudy or dirty
If you see that the water is not clear and sparkling, then think twice about diving in. However, this type of water condition is not only about having poor maintenance. It is lack of visibility also comes with a threat. You must also be extra careful with broken or missing pool drain covers, which are created to lessen entrapment. Take note that the pool’s powerful suction can potentially cause someone to be trapped underwater. You may do your research about how a compliant and a non-compliant pool drain are different from each other.
3. There are algae forming in the water
Since the pool is always wet, it has the possibility to grow some algae, especially if it’s not properly sanitized. The bad thing about blue-green algae products is that they can produce toxic cyanobacteria, especially if the poorly sanitized area receives a lot of sunlight. You will notice that it’s slimy and normally has a smelly film that stays on the surface of the water, has a particular green colour, and you may try to see if the pool has it before you go for a swim. If you smell something bad or slimy, it’s better not to go for a swim and don’t even allow your kids or dog to jump in too.
4. The pool is filled with a large crowd
They say that the more people, the merrier. Well, this doesn’t apply to a public pool. When it comes to pools, it involves mathematics. Every new body that goes in the pool multiplies the viruses, germs, and bacteria getting into the water. Not only that, if more and more swimmers enter the pool, it will also divide the lifeguard’s attention and focus, which provides less safety for everyone in the pool. So, if the pool is crowded at the moment, try to enjoy some ice cream or a strawberry smoothie instead.
5. Pool ladders are not kept away from kids
This is very important for swimming pool safety. It’s essential to have pool ladders for people to enter the pool and get out of it too. However, if lifeguards or adults are not there, the ladders should be placed away to avoid young children from having access, especially at above-ground pools. Pool ladders have the tendency to be slippery and kids like to play on them when adults are not watching them and get into accidents.
6. There are no safety fences placed around the pool
For public pools, it’s just imperative to have proper fences and barriers for kids, and if the place doesn’t have any of those then you must consider that their safety measures are red flags. These fences should be at least four feet high and surrounds a spa or pool on all sides, and kids must not be able to climb on them. Plus, the place must avoid keeping the fences open so toddlers and kids will not be able to enter easily without supervision.
A great place to swim is when there are supervisors on watch at pools, plus having lifeguards on duty to assist in lessening the danger of drowning. But the most important thing is parents must be the number one “Water Watcher”, which means to supervise the kids in the pool without getting distracted by other stuff.