Swimming Pool Safety 

You are responsible at all times for the safety and behaviour of your children, especially with regard to swimming pool safety. Even if the pool area is fenced or has an alarm, accidents can and do happen. There is never a safe alternative to keeping your eyes on them all the time. Sadly, it takes such a short time for a child to drown, that it is imperative to watch them at all times.

Key points for parents to consider:

It is a known fact that pool accidents occur more frequently:

• During arrival and departure because parents are busy unpacking / packing all their belongings and the children are hot and overexcited.
• If more than one family is holidaying together – during BBQs, for example, all adults may assume someone else is watching the children so it is easy for a child to slip away unnoticed.
• Statistics show that drownings have increased since the imposing of pool safety regulations because parents are relying on the alarms and gates and are less vigilant.

Before you go:

• Teach children never to swim alone.
• Take a first aid course – know how to resuscitate a child.
• Make sure the children (if old enough) understand the dangers and rules.
• If the children are very young; buy them a swimsuit with flotation pockets – readily available in the UK.

When you are there:

• First things first, familiarise yourselves with the pool area, safety measures and give the children the “pool rules”.
• Actively supervise all young children near water.
• Let children take swimming classes whilst on holiday – they are a great way of gaining water confidence and learning essential water safety skills.
• Inflatables are not a substitute for supervision or swimming ability.
• Keep the pool gate closed at all times.

Pool rules examples (depending on age):

• NEVER go into the pool alone.
• NEVER swim alone even if you are a good swimmer – if you fall and hit your head, someone has to be nearby to rescue you very fast.

Information courtesy of ROSPA, read the full article.

“According to figures collected over the past six years and published by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), an average of five children drown every year in swimming pools abroad. Most of these drownings happened in hotel pools, while holiday villas account for nearly a third. The report identifies toddlers aged from two to three years as being most at risk.

“A significant number of these accidents happen on the first or last day of a holiday. As RoSPA points out, parents tend to be distracted on arriving at a holiday destination and less vigilant when packing up to go home. "This is when children can slip away on their own to explore and get into trouble," says a spokesman.

“It's also a good idea to learn some basic life-saving skills. St John Ambulance (08700 104950; www.sja.org.uk) runs three- and six-hour first aid courses, including some that are geared specifically towards children and families – covering resuscitation and general advice. These start at about £20 (plus VAT), and the website gives information on regional sessions. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.”

Information taken from www.telegraph.co.uk.