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Playing it safe in the pool

The backyard swimming pool always provides fun and relaxation on hot summer days.

But all pools, from the inflatable kiddie types to in-ground styles, must comply with local safety standards and be properly insured.

Before you install a backyard pool, research your local building codes to see if your town, city or municipality requires safety equipment such as fences, locking gates, locking pool covers and lifesaving flotation devices. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four-sided fencing that isolates the pool from the house and yard decreases the number of drowning injuries from 90 to 50 percent.

Don’t install a diving board, or if you have one, remove it. The diving board is the single piece of pool equipment on which most injuries occur. Some insurance companies will not insure homes with swimming pools that have diving boards. Other companies will provide coverage, but the insurance rates are high.

If you purchase a home with a pool or plan to install one, it’s important to contact your insurance company to learn about liability protection. Typical homeowner insurance offers $100,000 in liability protection. You should consider increasing that figure to $300,000 to $500,000.

Play it safe by using common safety sense regarding your swimming pool. Talk to your insurance agent about your insurance options.

For more information, call E. R. Munro and Company at 877-376-8676.