Pools mean safety as well as fun!

The spring and summer mean pools, but it also means pool safety. The following are some safety guidelines from various sources to ensure you and your family enjoy your pool without incident.

Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics sets some guidelines specifically for children.

A swimming pool in the yard can be very dangerous for children. If possible, do not put a swimming pool in your yard until your children are older than 5 years. If you already have a pool, protect your children from drowning by doing the following:

. Never leave your children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.

. You must put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a fence at least 4 feet high around all 4 sides of the pool. This fence will completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard. Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches higher than your children's reach.

.A power safety cover that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) adds to the protection of your children but should not be used in place of the fence between your house and the pool. Even fencing around your pool and using a power safety cover will not prevent all drownings.

. Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd's hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the pool.

Do not let your child use airfilled "swimming aids" because they are not a substitute for approved life vests and can be dangerous.

. Anyone watching young children around a pool should learn CPR and be able to rescue a child if needed. Stay within an arm's length of your child.

Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren't tempted to reach for them. . After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they can't get back into it.

Remember, teaching your child how to swim DOES NOT mean your child is safe in water.

Lightning

The National Lightning Safety Institute says Lightning's behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses towards the lightning hazard.

Swimming pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:

Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a "weather radio" or the Weather Channel or other TV program to obtain good localized advanced weather information.

When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash-To-Bang (F-B) method to determine its' rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, a F-B of 10 = 2 miles; 15 = 3 miles; 20 = 4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.

Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be some 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away. Why take a chance with lightning?

Alcohol

Finally, although pool parties are great fun, remember that alcohol and swimming don't mix. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 69% of accidental drownings are alcohol-related. Don't let your summer fun turn tragic.