Hot Tub Safety for Parents

There’s no doubt that hot tubs provide a lot of fun for the family. While a hot tub can bring your family closer together, owning one comes with a few major responsibilities.

These responsibilities include things like making sure that the water is clean and clear, that the pump works well, and that the water temperature isn’t too hot. It’s very similar to owning a car! You have to make sure that all of the parts work well, or the hot tub will break down. All of these maintenance tasks help to make sure that you get the most out of your hot tub experience. They also take care of any health risks that could affect you or your kids.

While you need to make sure you keep up the maintenance on your hot tub, you also need to make sure that you look out for issues or situations that put your safety and the safety of your kids at risk. The biggest risk when using a hot tub is drowning.  This isn’t applicable to just hot tubs, of course, but also for pools and even bathtubs.

The good news is that there are so many different things you can do to ensure the safety of anyone who uses your hot tub — including yourself.

Not in Use? Keep the Cover On

If you aren’t using your hot tub, keep it covered. This is applicable even if your hot tub isn’t full of water. If your hot tub is full of water, keeping the cover on will not only help to keep it clean but will also prevent anyone from falling inside. This is particularly important when you have kids, or if there are kids in your neighbourhood.

Children are naturally curious. If your child has seen you use your hot tub, or has even used it themselves, they might want to give it a try when no one’s looking. Putting the cover on your hot tub makes it much more difficult for a child to get into the water.

Build a Fence

In some areas, it is required by law to build a fence around your hot tub. The main reason why you need to build a fence is primarily to keep children from getting into hot tub water unattended. It is similar to laws and regulations around outdoor pools. Any exposed body of water can be harmful to animals, children and even adults. Fences help to keep people from falling in and drowning.

The fence around your hot tub should be high enough to prevent someone from climbing over easily. It should also have a latch and lock to stop anyone from opening the gate without your knowledge. Taking these steps might seem like an unnecessary expense but in the long run will help to give you peace of mind.

Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant: congratulations! You’ll soon have a new addition to your family, which is truly a joyful occasion. When it comes to hot tubs however, you might want to check with your doctor before taking a nice relaxing soak. You doctor will tell you whether or not they believe it is safe.

The reason why you need to talk to your doctor about hot tub use while pregnant is because the temperature in a hot tub is quite warm. When pregnant, your temperature is also a bit warmer, and if you soak in a hot tub for too long, you could overheat. As you can imagine, overheating isn’t good for you or your baby. In fact, you could put your unborn child at risk.

So, don’t take the chance. Talk to your doctor before you use any hot tub to keep you and your baby safe.

Alcohol

In general, hot tubs and alcohol consumption do not mix. Drinking alcohol dehydrates people, just like a hot tub. So, if you’re drinking and soaking, you’re going to dehydrate twice as fast. When you’re dehydrated you can start to feel dizzy and your heart rate can elevate. Both these things are quite dangerous if you are in your hot tub as you can pass out in the water.

When you drink, the alcohol also expands your blood vessels. You get much warmer, which is also what happens to you when you’re soaking in a hot tub. Again, you’re doubling down on a serious issue. Drinking and soaking in a hot tub can lead to overheating, which can also lead to passing out in the water.

Another safety issue with drinking around a hot tub is broken glass. If someone drops a bottle of beer for example, glass can get inside the tub and injure everyone inside. Not only that, but when you step out of the tub, you could hurt your foot on the broken shards.

It is highly advised that you do not drink in your hot tub. If you have any teens or young adults in your family, it is a good idea to speak with them about the dangers of drinking in your hot tub as well.

Max Capacity

When you buy a hot tub, it will come with a manual. This manual will outline all of the details and specifications of your hot tub. This information will include the maximum (max) capacity, or number of people who can fit in your hot tub. It is important for everyone’s safety that you take this max capacity seriously.

If you have too many people in your hot tub, someone can get injured. In addition, if you overload your hot tub, the interior can break. This type of damage is very, very expensive to fix.

Supervise Your Children

This might seem like an obvious safety tip, but it really is the most important one. If you own a hot tub and you have children, make sure that you keep an eye on them while they soak. Don’t let them soak for too long, as 20 minutes is more than enough time for an adult. Also, make sure that they stay hydrated. Depending on their age and swimming ability, you should really be in the hot tub with them to make sure that they are comfortable.

Clear a Path

Water tends to make things slippery. We’ve all had a time or two where we’ve almost fell in the shower or tub. Falling onto hard concrete, a deck, or even grass is a painful experience. Make sure that the area around your hot tub remains as dry as possible. Adding a set of stairs that lead into and out of your hot tub will help to prevent water from spreading everywhere.

It is also important to make sure that towels, flip flops, toys and other items don’t cutter around the hot tub either. These items are all tripping hazards and could also lead to injury. If you have a path leading from your house to the hot tub, make sure that path remains clear at all times as well. This will also help to prevent anyone in your family from getting hurt.

Safety First

A hot tub is supposed to help you and your family relax and enjoy the outdoors together. Taking these safety tips into consideration will really help to maximize your experience. After all, no one wants to see a loved one get hurt, especially if the injury could have been prevented.