Orlando Kids' Directory

Featured Articles :: Winter Pool Safety

by Geoff Dawson (The Pool Safety Resource)

The Swim season is almost over – Time to check your pool’s defenses.

As the summer months give way to the cooler fall weather, safety experts are warning against letting your guard down around the pool. Despite great strides in pool safety, drowning remains the number 1 cause of accidental deaths in infants under 5 years in Florida.

“Owning a swimming pool is a 365 day a year responsibility to your family and your neighbors” says Geoff Dawson, President of The Pool Safety Resource in Longwood. “In Florida, we don’t winterize pools as they do in the north and they continue to be a threat to our children’s safety all year round. As our weather becomes more pleasant we are spending more time outdoors on the patio and leaving doors open which would otherwise be closed. Supervision remains the number one rule when children are close to the water.”

Dawson, a certified Infant Swimming Resource instructor offers advice to pool owners to help ensure their pool remains safe and secure during the months it is closed.



1. Is your system of protection age appropriate? As your child grows he is much more capable of defeating obstacles. You literally have to be one step ahead of his development in maintaining an effective system.
- Tell your children that the pool is closed and reinforce that it is off limits to them.
- Remove all toys and floating objects from the pool area

2. Check batteries in your pool alarms and change on the same schedule as smoke detectors (Many people do this when the clocks change)


3. Test your pool fence for strength and wear.
 Are all the hooks and eyes where fence sections join in good repair? Pay special attention to where the fence joins the house or screen frame where eye connectors can come loose.
- The fence must be “under tension” to be an effective barrier. All sections must be latched to maintain this tension. NEVER leave fence sections unlatched as they can easily be lifted out of the ground.
- Any sections with holes or tears must be replaced immediately
- Ensure self closing gates are properly aligned and latch.
- Lock gates and remove the key to a safe place.
- Check your warranty as repairs may be covered!

4. Check your pool screen for holes in the mesh and repair immediately. Ensure all screen doors to the pool area close and latch properly and are locked to prevent access from outside.

5. If you own an unscreened pool – consider installing a safety cover. A cover effectively seals your pool from the outside world and as a bonus eliminates debris in the pool and saves on chemicals!

6. Hot Tubs are used much more in the winter months and should be treated exactly as full size pools when it comes to drowning prevention. Solid spa covers should have clips to lock them down when not in use.

7. Temporary above ground pools should be emptied and stored. These pools already pose a sizable risk as they are easily installed anywhere where the ground is flat. Unfortunately adequate safety systems are rarely installed at the same time. An “empty” pool can easily refill with rain water – a child can drown in as little as two inches of water.

8. As spring approaches, call your Swimming Instructor to schedule lessons or refreshers. Infant Swimming Resource is a pediatrician recommended survival swimming program. Visit www.infantswim.com

Dawson adds, “The key to effective safety is layering systems of protection. Every system has a weak point. By combining systems parents can significantly reduce the chance of their child reaching the pool unnoticed”

If you have any concerns about your pool safety, call Geoff Dawson at The Pool Safety Resource. 407 834 9182 or visit www.thepoolsafetyresource.com