When you become a swimming pool owner you are adding fun to your family, but you’re also taking on a major responsibility to keep everyone who uses the pool safe from harm. There need to be “rules of the pool” in place before the pool construction project has even been finished. The swimming pool contractors from Advanced Pools, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee share our favorite swimming pool safety rules.
We have put together a list of rules to get you started. You should look at them and adjust them to fit your unique needs.
Our favorite swimming pool safety rules
It’s not enough for you to know the rules of the swimming pool, you need to share and educate everyone who uses the pool, friends and family alike.
Swimming pool rules are not designed to take away your fun and enjoyment, but to assure no one gets hurt and to help everyone safely enjoy the pool.
Some pool owners will write down and print out the rules and laminate them and keep them poolside. Others will let everyone know before they get in the water what the rules and will repeat them to keep everyone aware that safety needs to be front of mind.
Here are our top rules:
- If you’re not a strong swimmer, you need to wear a life vest. Have additional vests on hand and insist they are worn. Children should always wear one even if they can swim. If there are a lot of people in the pool, it can be difficult to keep track of everyone.
- Speaking of a lot of people in the pool — you need to designate someone, or more than one person, to keep track of a certain set of individuals.
- Never swim alone. Ever. Period.
- Shower before you get in the pool. Not quite a safety rule, but if you get off any dirt, debris, dead skin, perfumes, etc from your skin the pool water will be cleaner.
- Don’t use the diving board if there are a lot of people in the pool. Never go off the side of the diving board — only go off the front.
- If you have a pool slide, you need to always slide down feet first.
- Using the hot tub needs to be monitored as well. Limit soaks to no more than 20 minutes. Keep children under the age of five out of the hot tub.
- Alcohol and swimming never mix.
- No running and no riding toys on the pool deck. It will be slippery from the water and you could get injured.
- No glass containers poolside.
- Don’t shove someone into the pool. They could hit their heads.
We’re sure you will have your own rules for the pool, but these are a start for those pool owners who are first time pool owners.
