Pool Safety and Pool Tips

SWIMMING POOL SAFETY All of us at Jim's Pool Care believe strongly in child safety both in and around swimming pools. We can all do our part by working with friends, family and the community on the prevention of child drownings. Laurie Lawrence has done his bit by developing and promoting awareness through his Kids Alive program. The below section is from the Kids Alive website www.kidsalive.com.au                      . Ensuring children's heath and safety is the responsibility of parents and teachers when teaching children to swim. Exposing children to bathtubs, swimming pools, spas, creeks, rivers, dams, fish ponds or any open water poses many dangers. Drowning Prevention Drowning is the greatest cause of accidental death in children under the age of five in Australia. This trend is similar world wide. Drowning prevention is about creating a number of barriers to protect the child. Follow Laurie's Kids Alive water safety message of: Remember Kids Alive - Do the 5 1. Fence the pool 2. Shut the gate 3. Teach your kids to swim - it's great 4. Supervise - "watch ya mate" And 5. learn how to resuscitate Safety Warnings Never leave children unattended in or around water Always keep children within arms reach Do not rely on floatation devices to supervise children for you Do not leave older children in charge of supervision When teaching be alert, watch to see that baby's mouth stays clear of the water to avoid ingesting water Teach your Children to Swim Great learn to swim programs should follow progressive teaching of basic learn to swim skills. If swimming teachers follow a progressive system and students are given an opportunity to master basic swimming skills efficiently, a relaxed and quality swimming stroke can be developed. Why not visit www.worldwideswimschool.com where you can get FREE online lesson samples conducted by Laurie Lawrence and purchase directly those that suit your needs. If you are interested in a very personal and very special first hand account of a young baby by the name of Evie and her development around water, then you can also have a look at this blog called Baby Swim  www.babyswim.info   SOME OTHER POOL SAFETY TIPS Always keep your pool gate shut and do not use items to keep it ajar Promote “NO RUNNING” in the pool area Ensure that you have a current CPR sign hanging in the pool area Always provide adult supervision for children when they are in or around the swimming pool To help re-enforce the message of no diving, place a “NO DIVING” signs near your pool unless it has been specifically designed to allow safe diving. Keep glasses and other breakables away from the pool area and suggest using plastic cups to help prevent injury. Fencing requirements must be met prior to filling the pool Fencing and gates should be checked periodically to ensure they continue to work properly and that they satisfy the regulations Don't leave furniture or other items that children can climb on near your pool fence or above-ground pool. REMEMBER - There is NO SUBSTITUTE for ADULT SUPERVISION of pool users AT ALL TIMES Pool Fencing Pool Fencing laws in Australia are governed on a state by state basis.  Please ensure you are up to speed with your local laws and obligations as a pool owner.  It is as simple as calling or popping in to visit your local council or gevernment shopfront to get the latest information on pool fencing requirements.  QLD - http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/poolfencing NSW - http://www.safewaters.nsw.gov.au/fencepools.htm WA - WA Government SA - http://www.planning.sa.gov.au/go/swimmingpools VIC - http://www.watersafety.vic.gov.au CLEANING DEBRIS FROM YOUR SWIMMING POOL When cleaning the surface of your pool with a leaf net, work your way around the sides first, then clean from the middle of the pool to the sides.  Ofetn a pool net that has a bag at the back is best rather than a flat net so you can scoop both surface leaves and leaves at the bottom of the pool. Be sure to empty your leaf net occasionally when cleaning your pool's surface. Otherwise, the net's contents may accidentally end up back in the pool. Keep the trees and shrubs around your pool trimmed back to minimize the amount of leaves and debris that end up in the pool and ensure that if you have palms trees cut down the seed pods as they grow to minimize problems when they begin to fall. POOL CHEMICAL SAFETY Always be ultra careful when handling pool chemicals and read manufacturers instructions carefully. Store your pool chemicals out of direct sunlight to prevent breakdown by UV rays. Store pool chemicals out of the reach of children in sealed containers and do not mix chemicals ever. With regards to acid always get a bucket of water and add the acid to the water and then the bucket of water to the pool.  Stand up wind as you pour and if you spill any dilute immediately with buckets of water. If you get acid on your skin rinse immediately and always ensure you replace the cap firmly before storing. Note: Jim’s Pool Care regular servicing program takes care of the chemicals for you so you may not even have to have any stored on site. NEVER MIX CHEMICALS THERE IS ALGAE IN MY POOL Below is from the SPASA website regarding algae: WHAT IS ALGAE? Algae is a small plant growth which can take on many forms and is closely related to seaweed which itself is a form of algae. As in the case of seaweed, it can come in many shapes and sizes but for the most part Algae found in swimming pools is very small and resembles moss. These tiny microscopic plants feed on nutrients contained in the water. The algae spores, or seeds if you like, are either already present in the water, transported to the pool by wind or are attached to other debris which finds its way into the pool. The algae plant requires only air, sunlight, water and a good supply of nutrients to grow. They normally grow most profusely in the shallowest water and are usually found in areas around swimouts and steps. HOW DO WE GET RID OF ALGAE? By removing any one of the elements mentioned above ie. air, sunlight, water or nutrients, the algae will not grow. The simplest way of ridding your pool of algae is to remove the nutrients required for algae growth. Shock dosing of the pool will usually overcome the problem by starving the algae of its nutrients, causing it to die. However they are extremely hardy little organisms and, in some cases the algae becomes so resistant to the normal sanitiser that treatment with an Algaecide is required. There are many of these available and your SPASA Pool Shop or Serviceman can advise on which is the best one for you to use. Once the algae dies, the residue will need to be brushed from the pool surface so it can be removed by the filtration process or vacuumed out, leaving the pool clean and clear. KEEPING THE POOL ALGAE FREE Maintaining correct water balance and sanitiser level and not allowing the pool to "go off", along with occasional shock dosing, will usually keep algae under control. Add to this the regular use of an Algaecide and you can be sure the pool remains clean and free from algae. NOTE: For new and ongoing algae problems you can contact your local Jim’s Pool Care technician for on site servicing and advice for Pool Cleaning, Pool Servicing & Pool Equipment Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, North Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.