Every year in Puerto Rico there are at least 5-10 drownings on the island of children that were left unattended for a small amount of time resulting in an accident. Those numbers do not include the children that fell into a pool and have severe disabilities from almost drowning. In virtually every situation the parent or grandparent says "the child was just here next to me". This is probably a true statement however children move quickly and certainly do not sit still long. Pool safety is not something to take lightly. Preventative solutions include pool safety fences, pool safety net and pool safety covers. Most people purchase one, some people will get a pool safety net and pool safety fence (depending on the pool and the financial committment needed). Certainly each product has it's respective benefits but it is very important to take notice that the most common and most respected is the removable pool safety fence because it provides a larger vertical barrier keeping the kids away from the pool and thus conditioning them to not be tempted to get in the pool due to the obstruction. Pool safety starts with keeping "attractions" out of the pool. Beach balls, inflatable toys, and anything that may attract a child to the pool other than the water itself is defined as an attraction. All of these items should be placed outside the fence so as to keep the children from being tempted from trying to get over or around the fence to get to those objects. If you elect to got with a self closing gate (American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this) then make sure that the baby gate has a proven track record of solid construction. Many gates for pool fence are made out of double poles that are dependent on the tension of the fence and over a year or two the fatigue begins to make the gate go out of alignment. If the gate is out of alignment it will not shut properly. This could become a safety hazard so make sure that you check your gate for opening and closing obstructions and or problems each time you place you fence in the ground for usage. Whatever type of product you choose, make sure you use it because the product will not work if not put in place and put in place properly.
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