What You Need to Know about Water Safety
More than 70% of the Earth is covered by water so it's safe to say, that no matter where you live, there's a body of water nearby. Practicing water safety is vital and extends to the inside of the home as well. Children can drown in water that is only one-inch deep. Learn about water safety to keep you and your family safe. Here are some tips to keep everyone, especially children, safe around water:
Bathroom and Around the Home
- Do not allow young children, under age 5, unsupervised access to the bathroom. If your children are under 3 years of age, install a toilet lock to prevent accidental drowning in toilets.
- Among children under one year of age, baths are the number one source of drowning. Babies can easily slip under the water - and they can drown in as little as one inch of water. Never leave children under six alone or in the care of another young child while in bathtubs or any other body of water.
- Infant bath seats or supporting rings cannot keep children as safe as you can.
- Install bathmats or decals in the bathtub to prevent slipping.
- Cover faucets with soft safety covers.
- Use a mat outside the tub to prevent slipping on a wet floor.
- In the bathtub, adults and kids should always check the temperature of the water before getting all the way in. About half of all scalding accidents come from kids' being in too hot bath water. Better yet, set your hot water heater to 120º Fahrenheit.
- Water is an good conductor of electricity. To prevent accidental electrocutions, keep all bathroom electrical appliances out of reach. Never use them while the water is running, or someone is the bath or shower. Close the toilet and empty the sink and tub before using them.
- If there are children under age 3 at home, parents should empty water from containers, such as pails and five-gallon buckets, immediately after use.
- If you have a pool, have the necessary layers of protection in place around a swimming pool. Install a fence around your backyard and a fence (at least 4 feet high) around the pool, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Install an alarm system or device for the gate. Have a phone poolside to call 911. Have life jackets and a shepherd's crook at poolside. Learn CPR in case of emergencies.
Swimming
- Preschoolers should ONLY swim with an adult present. Preschoolers should always stay within their parent's or caregiver's reach (i.e., within arm's length) while in the water. The caregiver's attention must always be on the child, and not on distracting activities, such as talking on the telephone, socializing, or household chores.
- Teach your child to swim. Kids can start to take age-appropriate swimming classes at an early age - certainly by the time they are around four years old. They do not need to wait until they are older. Community pools and the Red Cross give swim classes.
- No one, including adults, should ever swim alone. This simple common sense saves lives.
- Have you child wear water safety shoes to prevent slipping, and to protect feet from sharp pebbles and hot sand.
- Pools, Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans
- Do not let your child play around any water (lake, pool, ocean, etc.) without adult supervision .
- Swim in safe and known natural bodies of water only. Make sure there are lifeguards on duty. Make sure there are safety lines that clearly outline safe and supervised swimming areas.
- Never jump or dive into unknown or murky water. Always know how deep and the location of rocks and other hazards. Children must always enter the water feet first.
- Even if there is a lifeguard on duty, keep a close eye on your child. A lifeguard has many people to watch.
- Children (and adults) who are not strong swimmers should use personal U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) appropriate for their size and weight when swimming in natural bodies of water. PFDs must be worn when boating, waterskiing, jet skiing or tubing
- Floating beach toys are not safety devices; kids can easily fall off or lose their grip. Children (and parents) should have fun playing with these, but not rely on them for safety.
- Inquire about water safety at childcare facilities and public swimming pools. Check the child-staff ratio, and that water safety rules are in effect at all times. A safe area has swimming areas clearly marked with signs and floating lines. There is a lifeguard on duty.
- Frozen water is dangerous! Thin ice can break under a child's weight. Children should not from walk, skate, or ride on weak or thawing ice on any body of water.
- Adults must always supervise babies and children around any body of water. A child can drown in as little as one-inch of water.
- Once children can understand safety rules, make sure they know to
- Never go in the water without a parent (or other trusted caregiver).
- Learn to swim. (However, knowing how to swim is not guarantee against drowning.)
- Always go into the water feet first.
- Never run around a pool - they could slip.
- Tell a lifeguard, parent, or trusted adult if they see someone who is in trouble in the water. They should not try to help that person, and they must never enter the water to help.
- Practice "water safety" in bathtubs, too. Children should play safely in the tub (e.g., stay seated, don't jump around). A parent should stay in the room with them
- Never swim in rain or a storm. Keep an eye out for developing thunderstorms. At the first sound of thunder, everyone must immediately leave the water and find shelter in a safe place. Lightning is attracted to the highest point in a flat body of water such as a boat or a swimmer. Water is a good conductor of electricity. The electrical current from a lightning bolt zips in all directions across the surface of the water. If you are in the water during a lightning storm you are in danger of electrocution.
- Ocean currents are strong and unpredictable. If you find that you are caught in a current, ride it out to conserve your energy. Call for help, if there's help available. To avoid being caught again in the current, swim back to shore on a diagonal.
Learn how to do CPR.
Use common sense at all times.
Stay calm.
Once pulled from the water, if the victim is unconscious or is not breathing,
Call or have someone call 911.
Start CPR immediately.
The Red Cross offers, CPR courses, swimming and water safety instruction and tips:
Check out Kids Health for excellent tips about outdoor water safety for children
At the Consumer Product Safety Commission you'll find guidelines for fencing around home pools.
Child-expert Dr. Spock gives helpful tips about bathtub and bathroom safety.
Find information about lightning safety at the National Weather Service
Have Emergency Numbers handy. Print out and fill in the Emergency Sheet that follows the First Aid Guidelines. Hang it near or behind your front door. Make sure your children, babysitters, and neighbors know where it is.
Beach and Surf Safety
While the beach can be a fun and relaxing place to enjoy your summer, it is important to also respect the power of the sea. Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States, killing nearly 5,000 people each year.
"For children 1- to 2-years old, drowning is the leading cause of injury death," said Arlen Stauffer, MD, of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). "It has been found that for every ten children who drown, 140 are treated in emergency departments due to near-drowning incidents, and 36 are admitted for further treatment in hospitals."
While you should keep in mind different beaches have different dangers, ACEP offers the following practical tips to keep you safe on both the sand and in the surf.
Always swim near a lifeguard tower and never swim alone.
Wear sunscreen, with at least a level 15 sun protection factor, to protect against burns.
Check with lifeguards about surf and beach conditions before going in the water. Obey warning signs in dangerous areas.
Don't overestimate your swimming ability. Never depend on flotation devices for your safety.
Never drink alcohol and swim.
Always swim or surf in designated areas.
Stay away from cliff edges-stay behind fences and obey warning signs.
Never run and dive in the water. Even if you have checked before-conditions can change.
"Every summer, emergency physicians see serious spinal injuries, including quadriplegia, because people dive headfirst into unknown water and strike the bottom," said Stauffer. "Another major cause of neck injuries is bodysurfing. It is caused when the swimmer's head or face strikes the bottom of the ocean. So check for depth and obstructions before diving, then go in feet first the first time; and use caution while bodysurfing, always extending a hand ahead of you."
Swim parallel to the shore if you want to swim long distances.
Wear shoes or sandals on the beach to avoid broken glass.
If you hear thunder, get out of the water immediately. Seek shelter in a building or automobile. If no shelter is available, find the lowest spot possible and avoid open spaces. Don't sit under an umbrella and stay away from metal objects like aluminum chairs.
If you get into trouble in the water, don't panic. Raise and wave your arm for help, float and wait for assistance.
Rip tides are the cause of many drownings and beach rescues each year. Rips are dangerous because they can carry a swimmer out into deep water. If you are caught in a rip:
Don't Panic-stay calm.
Don't fight the rip. Swim parallel to the shore until you are free of the out-rushing water. Then swim back to shore or signal for help.
Remember to stay calm and conserve your energy. If you become weak or tired, float with the rip current instead of fighting it, and signal for help.
Portions Contributed by the American College of Emergency Physicians
