Pool & Sun Safety Tips
Pool Safety Tips
- Children should never swim alone or only with other children. An adult must always be present when children are in a pool.
- Pay attention when your child is in a pool; don’t read, do chores, talk or text.
- Give your children swimming lessons and learn about water safety.
- Don’t leave toys in the pool when they’re not in use.
- Empty the wading pool when it’s not in use and store it upside down.
- Place the pool in a fenced-in area of the yard. The fencing should be non-climbable, at least 4 feet high, have a self-closing and self-latching gate that opens away from the pool. Ideally, this should be isolation fencing, which is four-sided fencing that goes around only the pool.
- Be sure there are no spaces under the fence or between uprights that are more than four inches wide.
- Have a pool cover that is a safety cover; don’t use clip-on covers for above-ground pools.
- Remove any items that could be used by a child to gain entry to the pool area.
- If possible, remove any steps or ladders leaning from the ground to the pool when the pool is not in use and keep these items locked away.
- Use door locks and alarms to prevent children from going to the pool area when there’s no adult to supervise them.
- Keep a life preserver, first aid kit, phone, and a hook to retrieve your child near the pool.
- Learn CPR.
- Teach your children to stay away from pool drains.
- Don’t allow children to wear dangly necklaces or wear their hair long and loose in or around the pool, to prevent getting entangled in a drain.
No Matter What Kind of Bug Repellent You Use, Remember:
- Adults, not kids, should do the applying.
- Spray in an open area to minimize how spray much you inhale.
- When applying to the face, spray some into your hand and then rub it on the face (steering clear of the eyes and mouth).
- Wash your hands, so that you don’t end up inadvertently mixing bug spray with your food.
- Try to use a product geared for the amount of time you need, rather than reapplying (especially when using a DEET product).
- Don’t buy combination sunscreen-insect repellent products, for just this reason–sunscreen is something you should reapply.
- Don’t use it on open cuts.
- Dress kids in light-colored clothing–and spray the clothing.
- Give kids a good washing at the end of the day with soap and water, and be sure to wash sprayed clothing before it’s worn again.