Be Safe at the Pool

The warm weather has arrived, and families are gathering around the pool for some summertime fun. Although wading in the water is enjoyable, it also comes with some extreme risks that many people are unaware of. If you want to ensure you and your family are exempt from poolside dangers you may need to adopt a few new habits.

Did you know that you could acquire cancer from sitting in the sun for extended periods of time? It’s true, and melanoma (skin cancer) is one of the most common forms of cancer. Melanoma comes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. These rays penetrate deep into your skin and alter DNA. The only way to avoid melanoma is to wear sunscreen. Be sure you apply your sunscreen every two hours if you are going to be in direct sunlight. If you are swimming, you should only use waterproof sunscreen but keep in mind that it only last 80 minutes until it beings to wash away.

Smelling the pungent scent of chlorine isn’t always enough to guarantee a pool is free of bacteria. Different bacteria take various times to die from the power of chlorine, and there has to be enough chlorine present to do so. Before you hop into the pool, you should check the chlorine level by inserting a test strip to ensure it is safe.