Whether you have a swimming pool in your backyard or a local pool near your home, many people throughout the United States take a dip to cool off and enjoy the warm weather. Unfortunately, both private and public swimming pools present dangers that can result in accidents, injuries, and even fatalities.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that nearly 400 people drown in swimming pools every year, and thousands more sustain injuries in swimming pool accidents. In a recent study of more than 50,000 public swimming pools by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it shows that almost four out of five public pools were not in compliance with at least one health or safety regulation and one out of every eight inspections lead to closure of that facility.

The following are several tips to keep in mind while swimming this summer:

• Ensure that you and your family know how to swim. If you do not know how to swim properly, the likelihood of drowning or suffering injuries increases. Your children should be taking swimming lessons at a young age.
• Provide proper supervision. Swimming with a lifeguard on duty will put your mind at ease. However, if you and your family swim on private property, you can still keep everyone safe by paying attention to others in the pool, particularly kids. Make sure any adult watching children in the pool know CPR.
• Keep rescue equipment nearby. From shepherd’s hooks to life preservers, these instruments can save a person from drowning. Additionally, having your cellphone nearby at all times is important in case of an emergency.
• Check chlorine levels of public pools. Swimmers can use test strips to check the chlorine and PH levels poolside to ensure the pool is safe enough to swim.

If you have been injured on someone else’s property in Connecticut caused by negligence, request a free consultation with our Hartford personal injury lawyer at Zayas Law Firm today.