Experts urge pool safety as summer weather approaches

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - With the temperatures rising and summer almost here, many around western Massachusetts are opening their backyard pools for the season. It’s a good time to remind homeowners with pools about their responsibility to keep people safe.

Getting the backyard pool ready for the summer comes with this message from Dave Griffin with The Dowd Agencies: always keep an eye on children in the pool.

“I mean having a pool is a great. It’s a great thing to have as a homeowner, but you have to put safety first and you have to be cognizant of everything going around. The age of people going into the pool, how many people are going into the pool at once. You always got to have eyes on the pool and make sure safety first,” Griffin explained.

Griffin said from a homeowner’s insurance standpoint, liability coverage is important.

“A common one is if kids are under water and other kids jump into the pool and someone breaks and arm or breaks a leg, has to go to the hospital with a neck injury, things like that, you are looking at liability coverage on your policy and you need to protect yourself in that sense,” Griffin noted.

Western Mass News also checked in with Teddy Bear Pools and Spa to learn more about pool safety products on the market for the two different type of pools.

“Keeping an eye on your children, have common sense, and when they say barriers - whether it be safety fencing for an inground pool or safety ladders for an above ground pool or pool alarms - that’s the best way to go…Just try to be prepared beforehand,” said John Shea with Teddy Bear Pools and Spa.

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