One of the most important members of any pool management staff is the lifeguard, but not even a troop of certified pool monitors can catch every accident that happens around a pool. Between the water, slippery surfaces and large crowds, you may not notice dozens of preventable accidents that happen at your pool each day.
Before any serious injuries occur, you should make sure that the most dangerous areas of your pool have the proper safety equipment. Depending on your facility, these safety measures may be barriers, drain covers or rubberized surfaces, but every pool can become safer with these three features.
Slip-resistant coverings
It goes without saying that the walking areas around pools can be slippery, but patrons aren’t likely to remember this when they’ve been splashing around in the water for the past hour. In particular, excited children may forget warnings to walk around the edge of the water, so they may at a higher risk of falling than others.
Fortunately, pool managers can install slip-resistant flooring to create more stable footings around the pool. While the most common solutions come in the form of tacky rubber mats that can be arrayed around the pool, you can also use a specialized tacky spray or moveable stickers to turn normal concrete surfaces into slip-resistant walking areas. Your patrons might not thank you for a less slippery walking surface, but the hope is that they’ll be spending too much time in the water to notice.
Pool alarms
This may not be a concern for pools that attract large crowds, but smaller facilities may want to consider an alarm system. Rather than deterring burglars, these are used to alert lifeguards or other staff members that someone has entered a specific part of the facility, such as a sauna or a hot tub.
If your pool is popular with children, this can be an essential safety feature. Saunas often reach temperatures that are dangerously high for kids, and an alarm can quickly notify adults in the area if someone has snuck into an off-limits area. Most alarms let off a short, shrill tone rather than a continuous klaxon so the rest of your patrons can enjoy their pool time without too much of an interruption.
Fences and barriers
The purpose of public pools is to attract swimmers, so erecting fences around your facility may seem counter-intuitive. However, any pool located in a residential area with lots of children should consider fences and barriers both as a way to protect their facility from unauthorized use and avoid unnecessary injury.
A fence around the perimeter of a pool prevents inexperienced swimmers from accidentally falling into the water. It typically sits in moorings around the edge of the water and can be made from soft mesh or metal for extra security.
Fences are excellent at protecting small children from accidentally falling into the water, but pool managers may also want to set up a fence if they’ve had issues with people sneaking into their facilities after business hours. These scenarios may involve alcohol, which only makes breaking into a pool even more dangerous. Any kind of fence or net will serve as a deterrent to would-be swimmers, but a sturdy metal barrier might keep out even the most determined trespasser.
No matter what safety features you choose to add to your pool this summer, rest assured that you’re creating a more stable and fun environment for your patrons – even if they don’t notice.