Water-related accidents happen fast, without warning and are often visually hard to detect in a busy pool, or at the beach. Children in particular, don't necessarily yell or scream or make a lot of noise when they are in danger in the water. Above all, stay alert when watching your kids in the water, and realize that even if someone is a strong swimmer, their activity needs to be supervised.
And as you head to the nearest watering hole to cool off, keep these safety tips in mind, and have a great summer!
• Residential pools must be secured by a fence at least four feet tall or an automatic pool cover.
• Keep the area around your pool free of furniture or items that someone could trip over.
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.
• Make sure your children are not wearing any loose jewelry, hair accessories or clothing that could get caught in pool drains or other pool equipment.
• If you have a home spa, install and use a child-proof, locked safety cover to keep children out.
• Before allowing kids to dive, make sure the water is at least 10 feet deep.
• Always watch your children when they are in the water, even if they know how to swim.
• Do not drink alcohol if you are supervising young swimmers.
• Adults watching a group of children swim should assign at least one adult to the exclusive task of watching the children.
• Adults supervising young children should practice “touch supervision” and be close enough to reach the child at all times.
• Take a class in CPR. Children 13 and older should also learn CPR.
• If you are using a public pool or beach, only swim where lifeguards are on duty and in their lifeguard’s stand. Stay and watch your children even if there is a lifeguard on duty.
• Avoid swimming at the beach on windy days. Wind can create undertows and dangerous swimming conditions.
• Do not body surf or allow your child to body surf. Body surfing is one of the leading causes of catastrophic spinal cord injuries.
