There are few investments you can make that are fun, good for exercise, and help you escape the intensity of Australia’s summer heat. However, that’s precisely what a swimming pool delivers. Whether you choose to buy a fibreglass lap pool or install a fibreglass inground pool, it’s a memory maker for the whole family.
You can’t, however, forget the safety responsibilities of owning a pool. Sixty-nine percent of drowning deaths involved children aged four and under due to falls; a quarter of those deaths involved a swimming pool.
It should come as no surprise that drownings are more common in the summer months because our pool usage increases during warm weather. So, it’s important that rules are in place and safety measures are considered when a swimming pool is involved.
We’ve compiled the top five ways to make your swimming pool safer.
1. Choose the Right Pool Design
Believe it or not, you can improve pool safety by choosing the right fibreglass swimming pool design. You will face many decisions at the design stage, and gradual entry points, shallow ends, and non-slip surfaces all contribute to higher levels of pool safety.
Speak to your Aquify Pools pool builder to discuss the many options available to improve pool safety at the design stage.
2. Install a Quality Pool Fence
Australian safety standards require homeowners to install a pool fence, but it’s important that you invest in quality. Fencing around a fibreglass inground pool is specifically intended to prevent unsupervised or unauthorised entries to the swimming area. It restricts access for children who should not be near a body of water without adult supervision.
Additionally, pool owners in NSW are required to register a pool or spa.
In addition to the safety benefits, a pool fence is convenient, easy to use, stylish, and good for your home insurance premiums.
3. Invest in Safety Covers
Always use the pool cover when the swimming pool is not in use. This provides additional protection to prevent accidental fall-ins. It also ensures that little ones can’t access the pool when they’re not supposed to be in the pool.
Safety covers are incredibly easy to use and convenient, they make the cleaning process simple, as no debris can collect in a covered pool. They come in different forms, too, so you can choose from safety nets and mesh covers or take it to the next level by installing an automatic cover.
4. Implement Pool Safety Rules
Rules keep your children safe, so from the moment you install a swimming pool in your garden, you should establish a strict set of pool safety rules for everyone to follow.
- No running in the fenced pool area
- If age-appropriate, no entering the pool area without safety floaties
- Never swim alone
- No diving into the pool
- No swimming without adult supervision
- Skim the pool after use and secure the cover
- All pool equipment must be stored properly after use
- Close the gate securely behind you
Safety must be a shared responsibility, so you must impress this upon them from the early stages of discussing fibreglass pools. The adults are responsible for ensuring gate latches are in proper working order and that no toys are left out that may entice children into the area. Additionally, avoid stacking equipment near fences and gates to prevent climbing into the pool area.
Teach everyone the basics of pool safety, and clearly understand what to do in case of emergency. Ideally, the children should have swimming lessons and those old enough should take introductory first aid classes to learn CPR.
5. Utilise Pool Alarms
Finally, a pool alarm is an effective safety tool that can be utilised for fibreglass plunge pools, fibreglass lap pools, and inground pools.
Immersion detectors will alert you if someone falls in or enters the water. A perimeter alarm will sound when someone is too close to the pool’s perimeter. Either option provides an extra layer of safety by alerting you to risk.
Conclusion
Be sure to discuss additional safety options with Aquify Pools when you discuss the fibreglass pool design. The safety aspect of the fibreglass pool installation process is just as important as the fibreglass pool costs, so make it a focal point of the conversation. You can create a safer environment by considering the pool design, physical barriers, technology and establishing a clear set of rules.
Aquify Pools delivers a range of safety features with fibreglass pool installation. If you want to learn more about the pool installation process, designs on offer, and safety features, reach out to discuss your options. Our team will be happy to discuss pool safety measures; it’s just as important an investment as the pool itself.
