Glossary
Safety cover
A strong, anchored pool cover designed to keep people out. Floating solar or winter covers are not safety covers.
A safety cover is a strong pool cover that is anchored around the edge and built to keep a child from falling into the water. It is different from a floating solar cover or a loose winter cover, which are designed to hold heat or keep out leaves. The AAP (opens in a new tab) warns that floating solar and winter covers are not safety covers and can actually increase drowning risk, because a child can slip underneath and be hidden from view.
Even a true safety cover is only one layer:
- it protects only while it is on and properly fastened;
- the pool still needs a four-sided fence and a self-latching gate.
Pool Safely (opens in a new tab) says to keep pool and spa covers in working order. For hot tubs, the AAP (opens in a new tab) says to always cover and lock them right after use. See safety covers vs. solar covers and the pool safety checklist.
What you can do today: check whether your pool cover is a safety cover or a solar cover, and never rely on a solar cover to keep children safe.