Summer Swimming Safety

This summer I have been volunteering for the American Heart Association as a Communications Intern and working as a lifeguard for the Forest Estates Pool Club. Through both positions I have learned the grave importance for being attentive and aware when it comes to swimming safety. It does not take lifeguard certification to be able to make sure your pool is safe. All you need to do is to be prepared and actively try to prevent dangerous behaviors.

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, according to the American Heart Association. But it is found that a drowning victim’s chance of survival can greatly increase if CPR is performed at the scene. It is highly recommended that people who own a pool, or people who spend a lot of their time around a pool, be knowledgeable of CPR. Although hands-only CPR can be very helpful during times of unexpected emergencies, The American Heart Association recommends doing CPR with rescue breaths for instances of drowning. Learn more about becoming CPR certified at https://www.heart.org/en/cpr.

Being prepared to give CPR is so important when being around a pool, however, it is also very important to actively try to prevent any potential accident from occurring. This can easily be done by establishing rules, teaching safety and being aware.

Establishing rules is key to preventing an accident from happening. Make sure all pool guests know what they can and cannot do when they are in the pool area. Explain what behaviors are risky and can result in a dangerous situation, like running around the pool or using alcohol or other substances when in the pool.

Enforcing these rules and teaching safe behavior is another important part to preventing accidents from happening. Inform someone if they break a rule, and then explain why the rule is in place, so the person does not make the same mistake again. Teaching pool guests why certain actions are dangerous will let them know that the rules are in place for a reason.

Finally, being alert and aware is one of the most important parts of maintaining pool safety and preventing accidents, especially when children are in the pool. No matter what the guest’s swimming ability is, there is always a chance that they could drown. Drowning can happen very suddenly and quietly, so consistently scanning the pool to make sure all swimmers are okay is essential.

Although there are a lot of risks to swimming, there are even more benefits. Swimming is great exercise and can be a lot fun. Have a safe and enjoyable summer and make sure you are prepared for any potential emergencies!