Swimming Pools & Pond Safety

Lifeguards are present at all public swimming pools and some hotel pools in Jersey.  They are there for your safety so make sure you listen to what they have to say.

Most swimming pools will have a list of pool rules, read this before going into the water.
General rules are:

• Have a quick shower before going into the water as this helps keep the water clean
• Wait one hour before swimming if you have eaten
• Don't run on the poolside, the tiles are slippery when wet
• Beware of the water depth, diving is only safe if the water is at least 1.5 metres. At Les Quennevais Swimming Pool diving is forbidden.
• Do not swim under diving boards
• Wait for the lights to change or the lifeguard to wave when using flumes/waterslides
• Keep your head above water in Jacuzzis and spas, lifeguards cannot see you easily because of the bubbles.

If you are in a private swimming or paddling pool, make sure there is an adult there to watch you all the time.  Keep an extra eye on little children.

Remember to dial 999 and ask for an ambulance if you need help.

American research has shown that parents are overconfident about their children’s safety abilities around water. Drowning is the second largest cause of injury related death for children aged 0-14 and more than half of parents say that they do not worry much or at all about their child drowning.

Adults must increase the quality of supervision of children around water as evidence has shown that whilst parents admit to supervising their children they also admit to participating in a variety of distracting behaviours while supervising.

Competent adult supervision is the only way to prevent drowning accidents, and equipping your pool with a standardised security system is just a complementary security initiative.

• Never leave an unsupervised child near a swimming pool, never lose eye contact
• If you must leave the pool area, even for one minute, take your child with you
• Teach your children to swim, but never consider children water-safe because they know how to swim
• Adult supervision is always necessary
• Floating toys attract youngsters: remove them from the pool when not in use
• Keep toys such as baby walkers, tricycles or wheel toys away from the pool
• Do not rely on plastic floats, armbands or other inflatable toys to prevent accidents
• Remove vegetation and other obstacles to assure a clear view of the pool from the house
• If you use a pool enclosure, make sure that objects such as chairs and tables cannot be used to climb over the fence
• Always keep a phone near the pool in case of an emergency.