Every summer, there are pool accidents that could have been avoided if some basic safety measures had been taken into account. Special attention should be paid to children and pets as they are the ones at most risk of having an accident.
Pool safety is a key factor that both the builder and the owner should take into account before, during and after it is built. It is important to remember that pools are not only dangerous while you are swimming, there are also areas around them where accidents can happen at any time.Following maximum safety measures may prevent an area for rest and relaxation such as a swimming pool from becoming the focus of attention due to an accident.
When we talk about pool safety, the first thing that comes to mind is protecting children. To do so, we have to remember that, even if safety systems are fitted at the pool, adults are always responsible for supervising children at all times and especially for paying particular attention while children are swimming.
There are several ways to avoid accidents both inside the basin and in the surrounding areas. People can slip on the paving around the pool and the steps so you should choose special anti-slip materials for these areas that let water drain well. It is important to ask any RENOLIT ALKORPLAN certified fitter for advice before building your pool. They will give you recommendations and help you choose the best safety systems to apply for your pool.
The different safety measures include several devices:
Barriers
If we do not wish to change the shape of our pool and we have enough room in our garden, we may choose to build a fence or barrier around the pool with a gate fitted into it. We must make sure that the gate is kept fully closed at all times and can only be opened using a system that children are not able to operate. This ensures that there is always an adult present when the pool is being used.
Pool covers
Whether manual or automatic, we should make sure that the system for opening and closing the cover can only be operated by an adult. We must also make sure that the cover covers the pool 100% and does not leave any way in at the edges. It is important to check the durability of the cover as it must be able to support the weight of children and pets and not give way or rip if they climb onto it.
Alarm systems
Resorting to new technologies, we can choose to fi an immersion detector within the structure of our pool that emits a sound when something or someone crosses a pre-set boundary or even falls into the water. These sensors will warn us if a body enters the water, activating a visual and acoustic alarm to warn us. A useful system as long as we are at home. As an additional security measure, this system can also warn us if anyone is swimming in our pool uninvited.
Raised pool
A raised pool requires fitting a coping that is high enough for children not to be able to get into the pool. The only way into the pool are steps that can be removed when we do not want to use it. The pool loses part of its aesthetic appeal but this is one of the safest systems for preventing children and pets from falling in without us knowing about it.
Anti-slip
Any RENOLIT ALKORPLAN certified fitter knows where to fit anti-slip lining to prevent falls and bumps in and around your pool. A place where it is essential to have RENOLIT ALKORPLAN anti-slip lining is at the entrance to the pool. The pool steps are a fall risk that can be prevented by appropriately positioned anti-slip lining.
If your pool does not have stone coping around it, we recommend using anti-slip lining.
Fitting RENOLIT ALKORPLAN anti-slip lining is a fundamental investment if we stop to think that any fall in or around our pool could leave us floating unconscious in water.
Here are several tips for preventing accidents and providing the utmost pool safety so you can simply enjoy your pool:
- Try and ensure that the whole pool can be seen from inside the house so that you oversee it at all times.
- Direct surveillance by an adult is the best action for preventing accidents combined with education on the correct use of the facility.
- Learn to swim. The sooner the better. That is the most important and practical advice. You should know how to educate, encourage and motivate children to learn to swim as soon as possible.
- Have rescue equipment beside the pool, such as a life jackets, a pole, a first-aid kit and a telephone nearby.
- Make getting in and out of the pool easy with easily-visible steps with an anti-slip surface.
- When the pool is not in use, we recommend taking all toys and objects out of it so they do not attract children.
- Keep all kinds of electrical devices far away from the pool and also store chemical products and equipment for pool maintenance and cleaning very carefully.
- Pave the surrounding area with special anti-slip material, avoiding sharp corners and creating rounded edges instead.
