Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high and installed completely around the pool. The latch should be out of a small child's reach. If your house forms one side of the barrier for the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce an audible 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 as an alternative to door alarms. For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.
Supervision also is key to prevention, especially with toddlers.
Because their capabilities change everyday, toddlers often do the unexpected, like opening closed pool gates they previously could not open. A child can drown in the few minutes it takes to answer the telephone. Drownings occur quickly and silently, often without any splashing or screaming. Flotation devices are never to be used as a substitute for supervision, and knowing how to swim doesn't make a child drownproof. Watch children closely while they are in the pool.