Portable pools are affordable and easy to transport but can be as dangerous as any other pool. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received an average of 35 reports of deaths of children under the age of 5 in portable pools each year. These pools account for 11% of all pool drownings for children that age. You can prevent these deaths.
If a portable pool, either large or small, is in your plans or already in your yard, follow these simple steps:
- Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa, and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water
- Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments
- Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa
- If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first
- Share safety instructions with family, friends, and neighbors
- Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
- Learn to perform CPR on children and adults and update those skills regularly
- Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency
- Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa, use self-closing and self-latching gates, and ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.
- Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa
- If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install doors alarms and always use them for additional protection, and install window guards on windows facing pools or spas
- Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water
- Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know
- Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order
- Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.