As a pool owner you are responsible for the safety and well being of anyone in or around your swimming pool, and this should be on your mind at all times. It is necessary for pool users to exercise appropriate judgment and responsibility, and it is necessary for pool owners to create and enforce rules for appropriate behavior and post warnings to encourage safe pool use. A swimming pool can provide endless hours of safe and fun outdoor recreation when swimmers are educated, and precautions have been taken to make the swimming pool safe.

In large areas of the country the leading cause of death for small children is drowning, and the majority of these terrible accidents occur in residential backyard swimming pools. As a pool owner or parent, you need to very closely supervise children or appoint a responsible person as the designated kid-watcher to prevent accidents. Be sure to talk with baby-sitters, and anyone who might use your pool when you are not home, about pool safety and drowning prevention. When the pool is not in use make sure you close and lock the pool gate or the gate to your yard.

The majority of drowning or diving accidents among adults are drug and alcohol related, or result from diving in the shallow end of the pool. Don't allow people who are under the influence of alcohol to use your pool. People take risks and do unpredictable things when under the influence of alcohol. Designate your swimming pool an Alcohol-Free Zone to avoid tragic accidents.

Diving should not be allowed in any above-ground or on-ground swimming pool. A diving board will simply encourage diving, and should never be installed on an above-ground or on-ground pool. Warning decals and signs should be posted at your above-ground or on-ground pool to warm swimmers of the danger. DANGER NO DIVING decals are packaged inside the carton with any new above ground swimming pool or replacement above ground swimming pool liner. All commercial swimming pools are required to clearly mark the depth of a swimming pool at several points on the deck directly next to the pool. It is strongly suggested that in ground pool owners also very clearly mark the depth, or at least mark the shallow end of the pool, to warn swimmers entering the pool.

Entrapment by the suction of main drains and other suction fittings may be another potential drowning hazard. In recent years there have been several advances in main drain cover design, and pool builders have the ability to install more than one main drain. This should completely eliminate the hazard of entrapment accidents, but unfortunately swimmers are still being killed and injured every year by outdated equipment. As these new technologies become available pool owners need to quickly retrofit their pool if at all possible. An inexpensive and easy to install replacement main drain cover may save you or the life of a swimmer in your pool.

Please visit In The Swim Discount Pool Supplies for a complete selection of pool safety equipment and quality pool supplies.