Within a few weeks all schools in South Africa will be closing and most children will spend their time at home. Because of the fun of it and the hot weather, they may be spending a lot of time in the swimming pool, either at home, at friends or at public facilities.

Swimming pools can be fun on a hot summer day, but did you know that each year, thousands of people are seriously injured or die in a swimming pool accident? The majority of swimming pool accidents involve drowning, near-fatal submersions, diving mishaps and falls.

Children are at danger

Children are particularly at risk for injury. Drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under 14 years old. Children under the age of five are the most likely to drown in an unsupervised pool. Tragically, many of these swimming pool accidents could easily have been prevented.

Teaching your child how to swim does not mean your child is safe in water. If you have a pool, protect your children by supervising them at all times and by being prepared in case of an emergency.

Follow these pool safety tips:

    • Make sure you as parents are trained in life-saving techniques and CPR so you can rescue your child if necessary
    • Surround your pool on all four sides with a sturdy 1,5 meter fence
    • Make sure the gates self-close and self-latch at a height children can’t reach
    • Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd’s hook ¡V a long pole with a hook on the end) and a portable telephone/cell phone near the pool
    • Don’t depend on inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties” for keeping children safe. They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security
    • Children are not developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim programmes for children under four should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning
    • Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision”
    • In the case of a backyard swimming pool, make sure that the cover of the pool is completely lifted over the pool. Do not partially open the pool. Also make sure that your child does not walk over the pool cover
    • Make sure small children are never alone near water such as baths, swimming pools, dams and rivers. Always supervise them as drowning can occur in a few seconds
    • Never swim when there is lightning or thunder
    • Do not allow running on the edge of the pool
    • Keep large floating toys out of the pool as they block the view
    • Keep deck areas free of clutter
    • Teach all children to swim as early as possible
    • Never allow young children to dive into a pool
    • Install pool lights for night vision
    • Remove automatic vacuums (creepy crawly) from the pool before swimming
    • Keep pool chemicals locked away
    • Never allow electrified extension cords near a pool
    • Make sure your babysitters can swim and have them show you.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about swimming pool safety.