WATER SAFETY TIPS

WATCHING CHILDREN AROUND WATER

• Maintain constant supervision.  Watch children around any water (such as pools, rivers, lakes, bathtubs, toilets and even buckets of water), no matter how well your child can swim and no matter how shallow the water.

• Stay within an arm's reach of an inexperienced swimmer while he or she is in the water.

• Do not rely on substitutes.  The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision.  Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.

• Prevent access to water features, such as small ponds and waterfalls.

• Empty kiddie pools immediately after use.  Do not leave water in an unattended pool of any kind.

• Use safety locks on toilets and keep bathroom doors closed and toilet bowl covers down if there are small children in your home.

• Empty cleaning buckets immediately after use.

• When visiting another home, check the site for potential water hazards and always supervise your children.

• Teach children to swim by enrolling them in a Learn-to-Swim course.  Your decision to provide your child with early aquatic experiences is a gift that will have lifelong rewards.

• Family members should participate in a Red Cross water safety course, which encourages safe practices and provides lifelong safety skills.

• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.  Parents and other caregivers, such as grandparents, older siblings and babysitters, should take a CPR and first aid course.  Knowing these skills can be important around the water, and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child.

The Red Cross urges families to remember the following safety tips when engaging in activities in or around the water:

• Learn to swim and swim well.  The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim well. Everyone, including adults should be supervised. Adults should practice “reach supervision” or be within arm’s length of a child in case an emergency occurs.

• Learn Red Cross CPR.  All caregivers, including grandparents, older siblings and babysitters should know this lifesaving skill.

• Outfit everyone with the proper gear.  Kids - and even adults - who are not strong swimmers or who appear to rely on inflatable toys for safety should use U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) whenever they are in or around the water.  Everyone, including strong swimmers, should use a Coast Guard approved PFD when boating. Everyone should have the appropriate PFD for their weight and size. This information is printed right on the label as part of the Coast Guard stamp. This lifesaving lightweight plastic equipment when used properly, can help save lives.

• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the residential pool and know how to use it.  A first aid kit, cordless phone, phone list with emergency contact information, reaching pole and ring buoy with a line attached are recommended. Cordless phones allow you to make that call to 911 if necessary plus you aren’t called away for a ringing phone. First aid kits contain plastic face shields, which can help prevent disease transmission. Plastic ring buoys are easy to maneuver so that even a child can use one if the need arises to help save a life. These items coupled with a pool emergency action plan help everyone breathe a little easier.”

• Pack a “safety” bag for a day at the beach or lake.  Water-proof sunscreen, SPF 15 or higher, water shoes to keep feet safe from the heat and objects on land and in the water and plenty of water are must haves. And all containers should be plastic to prevent injuries from breaking glass. The properly packed safety bag will help ensure that everyone comes home safe and sound.