There’s a gadget for everything these days. From braai tongs that have a built-in LED light to mini Bluetooth earbuds and pens that allow you to organise, re-write and share documents using an app.
There are also many gadgets available for pool safety. Infrared motion sensors, underwater motion alarms, surface motion alarms and personal immersion detectors – to name but a few. These can be purchased with the aim of providing extra layers of safety around your pool.
These layers of safety might also include a pool fence or even an alarm on the gate that leads to the pool area. And while the more layers the better, the most effective layer for protecting children from falling into an unsupervised swimming pool remains the trusty pool safety net.
‘Layer Zero’
Mario Vittone, an expert on drowning and sea-related survival and safety, describes the pool safety net as the “layer zero” that prevents drowning because it removes water from the situation.
In an age of electronic wizardry and gadgetry, this is very much an “old school” method but it works.
Think about it – the 10cm mesh squares that make up our custom fitted pool safety nets is the size designed to be too small for a toddler’s head to fit through, yet too big for a toddler to be able to crawl on.
As Vittone says:
“Fences can be climbed – and the water is there. Locks work, but if you forget to latch it, or an older child opens the door, the water is there. Alarms make noise but do not prevent water entry in any way.”
A properly installed pool safety net makes entering the water impossible. The pool safety net is securely anchored and under tension. This ensures the child remains above the water level and is unable to crawl through the perimeter of the net.
The 3.5mm durable polyethylene braided net is preshrunk (which means the net will not shrink) and autoclaved (which means that knots are heat-sealed to prevent them from slipping).
Minimise the risk
The bottom line is that the risk of a child drowning in a swimming pool at home is, and always will be, very high. Any gadget that helps prevent a child from getting into the water unintentionally is worthwhile.
That said, a pool safety net that is purchased from a reputable supplier and installed correctly removes the water from a potentially dangerous situation.
And that is why it must be the first layer of protection when it comes to pool safety and drowning prevention. The gadgets can always be used as additional layers of safety.
Or, as Vittone says, you might as well fill your pool with sand.
And that wouldn’t be any fun, now would it?