It’s Halloween, and this means that plenty of kids will be traveling from door to door. While people don’t often consider the safety of their pool when it comes to Halloween, they really should. With children running wild and playing throughout the neighborhood, you’ll want to be extra sure that your pool area is secure and properly protected.
Halloween Safety and Beyond
We’ve posted about caring for and closing your pool in the colder months. Some of our readers also live in climates that are warm all year long, including Halloween. That said, no matter the temperature, it pays to secure your pool area from curious wandering kiddies. After all, drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1-4.
To help illustrate this point, take a look at this infographic. It will show you just how hazardous an unprotected pool area can be.
For Halloween safety, and safety throughout the whole year, your pool should be properly locked up and covered.
Pool Fences Save Lives
When it comes to Halloween safety, homeowners should not simply assume that other parents will be responsible. This holiday can easily become quite hectic, and even the most responsible parent can become distracted and lose track of a playing tyke.
When it comes to your property, you’re responsible for preventing dangerous situations. First and foremost, we recommend installing a pool fence. Kids are curious and love to explore. Just in case, it’s a good idea to make your closed and private home pool area appear uninviting to unwanted guests!
In addition to being a great deterrent for keeping kids away from the water, a properly installed pool fence is a terrific investment all year long. Put simply, a pool fence provides a secure barrier around the potentially dangerous pool area.
To be truly effective, a pool fence should include these features:
- It should provide a barrier between your back door and the pool area.
- It should be strong enough to withstand pushing from a child.
- The fence should be 48 inches tall with slats that are no more than four inches apart. This prevents little ones (and pets!) from climbing over or through the fence and gaining access to the water.
Strength is key. To learn more, please read this detailed article about the value of mesh pool fencing.
Lock it Up!
Keeping with the idea of a pool fence for Halloween safety, the pool should be tightly locked up. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Academy of Pediatrics both recommend a self-latching, self-closing gate. These gates are designed to automatically close behind you, even if you forget to manually close them. Buying a pool fence with a self-latching, self-closing gate takes all of the worry away.
That said, for extra Halloween safety, it might not hurt to take a quick run to the back yard just to be sure that everything is locked up. Never rely on a false sense of security. The extra minute it takes to check can make all the difference in having a fun, safe night.
Extra Layers of Security
If you are looking for total peace of mind, it pays to not put all your eggs in a single safety basket. A strong mesh pool fence and a powerful lock are great, but by adding some extra layers of protection, you can feel even more secure.
Beyond the recommended pool fence locks, add high locks to all of the doors and windows leading to the pool. These will help to make sure that your own children don’t wander out towards the water. Additionally, add alarms on the doors and windows that access the pool. You can also put an alarm in the pool to warn if someone has entered the water without your permission.
When it comes to Halloween safety, parents and homeowners need to think outside the box. As you can see, that includes taking some extra water safety precautions. For some advice on keeping kids safe while they wander the neighborhoods, take a look at this handy guide from Child Safety Source.
