Drowning is fast and silent, and it often happens when adults are close by and simply look away for a moment. An above ground pool’s tall wall helps, but it isn’t a barrier on its own. Use this checklist to set up layers of protection, so that if one fails, another one catches it.

Layer 1
Watch the water

Nothing replaces an adult watching. Name a Water Watcher every time kids are swimming: one adult whose only job is to watch the pool, with no phone, no book and no cooking. Hand off the job out loud when you need a break.

• Keep young children and weak swimmers within arm’s reach.
• Don’t rely on floats or toys to keep a child safe.
• Swim lessons help, but they don’t make any child “drown-proof.”

Layer 2
Barriers and gates

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign recommends:

• A fence at least 4 feet high around the whole pool.
• Gates that self-close and self-latch, and open outward, away from the pool.
• A door alarm on any house door that opens to the pool area, if the house forms one side of the barrier.

Your town may have its own barrier rules for above ground pools, so check before you build. See Do You Need a Permit for an Above Ground Pool in Massachusetts?

Layer 3
Ladders and steps

Pool Safely advises securing, locking or removing an above ground pool’s ladder whenever the pool isn’t in use.

• No deck: a locking ladder, like the Confer Rollguard, closes off the outside steps.
• Ground-level steps: choose a system with a locking gate, like this step entry system.
• Deck: put a self-closing, self-latching gate at the top of the deck stairs.

See all the options in Ladders and Steps.

Layer 4
Alarms

• A pool alarm sounds when someone or something enters the water.
• Door and gate alarms warn you when someone heads out to the pool.

Alarms are a backup, not a babysitter. Test them at the start of every season.

Layer 5
Pool rules

Post them, and go over them with every guest:

• No diving or jumping in head-first. Above ground pools are too shallow for it.
• No swimming alone, for adults too.
• No running on the deck or steps.
• No sitting or climbing on the top rails, and no pushing or dunking.
• Never swim under a cover. Solar and winter covers can trap a swimmer. Take the cover fully off before anyone gets in.
• Clear the toys out of the pool when swim time ends, so kids aren’t tempted to reach for them.

Layer 6
Electrical and chemicals

• Plug the pump into a GFCI-protected outlet at least 6 feet from the pool, and never use an extension cord. See Electric Requirements and Can You Use an Extension Cord for a Pool Pump?
• Keep radios and chargers away from the water. Use battery-powered devices near the pool.
• Store chemicals in their original containers, in a cool, dry, locked spot out of kids’ reach. Never mix chemicals. See our Pool Chemicals guide.
• Keep the water balanced. Low chlorine lets germs grow. See How Much Chlorine Should I Use?

Layer 7
Be ready for an emergency

• Learn CPR, and have everyone who watches the pool learn it too.
• Keep a phone nearby for emergencies only, and know your address to give 911.
• Keep a reaching pole and a ring buoy beside the pool.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count.

Checklist
The printable checklist

For more safety gear, see Best Above Ground Pool Accessories.