Protect Your Backyard Pool From Tragedy

With the summer sun comes summer fun -- all the more convenient for those with a pool at home, but of course pools bring risk as well.

Pools have grown in popularity, with more than 8.3 million households splashing around in the backyard to cool off after a long, sweaty summer day. That's up 10% since 2002, according to the Association of Pool and Spa professions.

However, the convenience also comes with liabilities. Even those with small, inflatable pools need to take precautions against drowning and pool-related injuries, especially with small children.

Drowning is still the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages one to 14, according to a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The report also found that 283 kids under the age of five drowned in pools and spas from 2003 to 2005, on average. ...