A study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to find out how child drowning incidents occur indicates that SUPERVISION CAN AND DOES FAIL.
THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE ON POOL SAFETY. YOU ARE DEALING, LITERALLY, WITH A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION.

Close supervision of young children is vital for families with a home pool -- and not just when outside using the pool. A common scenario is that young children leave the house without a parent or caregiver realizing it. Children are drawn to water, not knowing the terrible danger pools can pose. Also, just because children know how to swim, doesn't mean they are safe. All children should be supervised every second while in and around the pool.

The commission offers these additional tips to prevent drowning:

  • Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high and installed completely around the pool. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be out of a small child's reach. Keep furniture that could be used for climbing into the pool area away from fences.

  • If your house forms one side of the barrier to the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce a sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.

  • A power safety cover -- a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the water area -- can be used when the pool is not in use.

  • Keep rescue equipment by the pool and be sure a phone is poolside with emergency numbers posted. Knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be a lifesaver.

  • Don't leave pool toys and floats in the pool or pool area that may attract young children to the water.

  • For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.

  • If a child is missing, always look in the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.

  • Pool alarms can be used as an added precaution. Look for alarms that meet the requirements of the ASTM standard. The commission advises that consumers use remote alarm receivers so the alarm can be heard inside the house or in other places away from the pool area.

  • To prevent body entrapment and hair entrapment/entanglement, have a qualified pool professional inspect the drain suction fittings and covers on your pool and spa to be sure that they are the proper size, properly attached, and meet current safety standards. If your pool or spa has a single drain outlet, consider installing a safety vacuum release system that breaks the vacuum to avoid potential entrapment conditions.

Source -  http://www.cpsc.gov/

Fall/Winter Tips

  • Run Timer about half the time in the winter. Pools do not need to circulate as much in the winter because algae does not like the cold water. Save some money, turn your timers down. Approximately 4 hours per day unless you're heating your pool!
  • Acid Washes. They are generally performed between October and March 1st, weather permitting. The reason we drain and acid wash pools in the winter is because the extremely hot temperatures can cause pool surfaces to peel, pop or blister when the outside temperatures are above 90° during the day. It's best to do the draining between Nov. 1st and Jan 31st when it's cooler. If you wait too long, which most people do in the spring, all the pool companies are jammed with orders and cannot get to them before summer starts.
  • Preventative maintenance. This is also best done in the winter when pools are not being used. Being "proactive" about preventative maintenance keeps your system running smoothly through the summer. If your system goes down when it's hot it can turn into a green swamp over night.

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Spring/Summer Tips

  • Check your Water Level! Dry, hot days and splashing causes water loss. Nothing will ruin equipment faster than lack of water. Pumps cannot function and water can't circulate. Water levels should be kept at mid-tile height of your pool.
  • Take toys out of pool. Toys will find skimmer and pool cleaners, causing blockage, restricting water flow.
  • Clean Filters and Clean Cartridges! These need annual acid washing and cleansing by removing the elements from the filter and scrubbing them down. Suntan lotion, baby oils and dirt clogs filters. If the filter is dirty, the pool will not circulate enough and algae will form. We recommend annual cleaning of D.E. and card cartridge filters by taking apart and cleaning the internal filter elements.
  • Make sure to run pump enough. Pools need to circulate and filter much more in the summer months. Timers should be set to run as follows:
  • Summer, 8-10 hours a day
  • Winter, 4-6 hours a day

Algae will grow if pump isn't run enough.

  • Keep dogs out of pools as much as possible! Dogs just zap chlorine from pools and dog hair clogs drains, skimmers, pumps and filters.