5 Ways to Ensure Swimming Pool Safety in Miami
May 23, 2022 | Sagi Shaked | Personal Injury
Miami is a city known both for its warm weather and beautiful beaches. Millions of people swarm to the city every year to enjoy a day in the sun and water. But not all of them swim in the oceans and bays. Many enjoy a day spent lounging by a pool.
The city is home to thousands of pools, both public and private. Public pools are regulated by Florida laws regarding health and sanitation. This oversight ensures that they are safe for use.
The primary goal of these regulations is to prevent disease and drowning. The latter is particularly important since drowning is the leading cause of death in children four and under and the second-most-prevalent cause of death in children up to 14 years old. Drowning incidents are reduced when safety rules are properly enforced.
Private pools are not regulated the same way as public pools. This lack of regulation makes them riskier for swimmers. But even though they aren’t regulated, that doesn’t mean they have to be dangerous. Here are five things you can do to protect friends and family who use your private Miami pool:
1. Supervise All Pool Use
While a private pool isn’t going to have a paid lifeguard protecting swimmers, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be somebody watching when others are swimming. Never swim alone in your pool and never let others use it without supervision.
As long as swimmers are interacting with each other, supervision can be done by others in the pool, but it is usually best if the person supervising pool use isn’t swimming.
2. Recognize that Food and Pools Don’t Mix
There is age-old advice to wait 30 minutes after eating to go swimming. This advice exists for a reason. People who have recently eaten are more likely to cramp up while swimming, which can result in drowning. It is fine if you just want to sit or stand in the water after eating, but any strenuous activity should wait.
3. Keep the Swimming Pool Deck Dry
When somebody gets out of the pool, they are certain to drip water on the deck. Similarly, people playing in the pool are likely to splash water all over the place. This water forms puddles that can cause someone to slip and fall. These accidents are avoidable if you keep the deck clear of puddles.
This risk doesn’t necessarily mean you need to take time out of a fun swimming day to dry your deck. You can preemptively deal with puddles by placing down safety mats near the edge of the pool. It is also important to strictly enforce a rule that nobody may run or jump near the pool’s edge.
4. Regularly Clean Your Pool
Pools get dirty very easily. Bacteria breed in water, and dirt collects at the bottom of pools. If you don’t clean and chlorinate your pool regularly, it quickly becomes filthy, and swimmers can catch diseases from it. The best policy is to clean it thoroughly after every time it is used and also on a regular schedule during any months it is full.
5. Put a Barrier Around Your Pool
You can have all of the safety rules you want, but if nobody is around to enforce them, they aren’t of any use.
If your pool is unguarded, eventually, someone will attempt to use it while there is nobody around to enforce safety guidelines. Children, in particular, are likely to jump in an unguarded pool unsupervised. A good fence can protect friends, family, and even strangers from unfortunate tragedies.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Miami, FL if You or a Loved One Were Injured in a Swimming Pool Accident
These are just a few tips to keep you and others safe when using your swimming pool. However, sometimes accidents happen. If you or a family member have suffered injuries using another party’s pool (or if another party has suffered an injury using your pool), contact a personal injury law firm in Miami for help.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Miami, FL and need legal help, contact our Miami Personal Injury lawyers at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers
20900 NE 30th Ave Suite 715
Aventura, FL 33180
(305) 937-0191