By Trisha Mendoza

Swimming in the pool is the one of the things that people love to do with their family and friends during summer because it makes them feel relief from the hot weather. However, swimming pools at home come with a great responsibility because it’s a place where there’s a great risk of drowning, especially among kids and also among adults. Drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional deaths among children.

Here are some safety tips/guidelines to avoid injuries, drowning, and burned skins while having fun in the pool:

• Always ensure that there’s an adult supervising children playing in or around the swimming pools.
• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
• Be knowledgeable about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid in case something bad happens.
• Keep rescue devices and first aid supplies near the pool.
• Use the right floating devices.

• Don’t eat or drink in the pool and don’t drink too much liquor because these may lead to unnecessary mishaps.
• Don’t put trash, food, drinks or anything that may cause slipping in the pool.

• Don’t run and push because it may lead to hitting your head or, even worse, drowning.
• Don’t dive or jump into the pool from the side.
• Apply sunblock every 30 minutes and two to three hours before swimming to avoid sunburns.

• Don’t jump or dive in the pool if you don’t know how deep the water is; also, mark water depths conspicuously.
• Check if there are other swimmers approaching you before diving or slide diving.
• Never swim alone.
• Put a safety float line where the bottom slope deepens.
• Put away all electrical appliances in the pool area to avoid the threat of electrical shock.

• Don’t do acrobatic diving if you’re not good at it and if you don’t know how to swim.
• It’s a good idea to put a safety fence around the pool to keep children safe from drowning.
• Have a phone near the pool for emergency purposes; know the emergency hotline in case of an emergency.