Keep it Covered: Hot Tub Safety

By Whitney

During the trying-to-conceive and pregnancy phases of our lives, my husband and I deprived ourselves of hot tub use. With that all behind us, now we indulge in a hot tub whenever possible. We have been delighted to find so many hotels that offer Jacuzzi spas in the room or on the deck. And we haven’t worried too much about safety since we only reserve a schmancy spa room when we are traveling without our children.

At my friend Karen’s vacation house, not only is the hot tub UL certified, but the hot tub cover is also UL certified. I was pleased to see the UL mark on both of these pieces of equipment at her house, because we always have our kids with us when we are there, and the combination of kids and hot tubs is quite dangerous.

Why? Because kids, who really like to get in the hot tub because it feels like a pool sized just right for them, may not be good judges of their ability to sit or stand, especially if bubbles are obscuring the view of the tub’s bottom. They are more likely to have the “Who can stay underwater the longest?” contest, exposing them to great risk of getting trapped by a strong drain. Children are not physically strong and the suction may overpower them easily. In short, adult supervision is critical when it comes to hot tub use.

Three important hot tub guidelines to follow

1. Keep a secure lid on the hot tub whenever it’s not in use. The lid should be heavy enough that a curious child cannot move it aside to access the water.

2. A supervising adult must always be on duty and armed with knowledge of how to cut off the suction in an emergency.

3. If you are the owner of a hot tub, make sure to keep it maintained and inspected regularly, especially making sure that drain covers are not cracked or broken.

We are headed to a resort in Palm Springs this weekend for one last family vacation weekend before school starts. Unfortunately, in a hotel pool situation, there is typically no cover on the spa.

Hot Tub

I’ve been lucky to have had my fill of hot tubs this summer. Therefore, I’m secretly hoping for a pool-only lounge area. I will be more relaxed with my two preschoolers if there’s simply no spa in sight. Wish me luck.