Water Safety

The warm summer weather has many families seeking the coolness of their backyard or community swimming pools. Children can’t wait to show off their new bathing suits as they make their big splash into the pool. This exciting and fun filled activity can sometimes lead to tragedy. Each year, more than 830 children ages 14 and under die as a result of unintentional drowning. Safe Kids Baltimore offers some preventative safety tips to help keep this summer activity a pleasant one for your family.

 

The most important thing you can provide is adult supervision of children in the water, whether it is a backyard pool, public pool or open body of water. Childhood drownings often occur when the children are unsupervised while swimming. Many parents have initiated “Water Watcher” programs where they take turns monitoring children in the pool. Their attention is totally focused on the kids in the pool during their time frame. Children should also be taught to never swim alone. Parents are also encouraged to be trained in CPR for infants and children in case of a drowning or near-drowning event. 

 

It’s also a good idea for children to take swimming lessons as soon as they are ready, usually around age 4.  If your child can not swim, an adult should stay within arms reach of them while in the pool.  You may also consider use of a coast guard approved personal flotation device. Water wings do not fall into this category and have been known to deflate while in the water and leave the child struggling to stay afloat.

 

Diving into pools or open bodies of water can also lead to extensive injuries and deaths if the water is not at least 9 feet deep. Children should be taught not to swim in lakes, quarries, and other open bodies of water without an adult and taking precautions. Swimming should only occur where there are posted signs allowing swimming in these areas. Open water areas can have hidden currents, undertow and other unknown hazards. Diving is totally discouraged due to unknown depths and unknown debris that could be beneath the water surface.

 

Having a pool or hot tub in your backyard can provide your family with many wonderful summer days together. Putting barrier protections into place will help to keep this a safe zone as well. The pool should be separated from the house and remainder of the yard with a fence that is at least 5 feet high. The gate to the area should be self-closing and self-locking ensuring that no child would be allowed to wander into the area unsupervised. You should also consider alarms on the windows and doors leading to the pool area. If your hot tub is free-standing, remember to cover it and lock it when not in use. Always keep a phone with you outside when using the pool or hot tub to avoid a delay in calling 911 if assistance is needed.

 

Some especially tragic drownings have occurred when children have become entrapped by the drain in the pool or hot tub. Anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system can prevent this from occurring. Even if your pool is older, you can still have these installed. It is also important to check and make sure your drain covers are not broken, loose, or missing. Children with long hair should tie it up when swimming to avoid it becoming entangled in the drains. 

If your summer water plans also include boating or jet skiing, always insist that your child wears a US Coast Guard approved life jacket. It should fit snuggly so it can not slip off over their head when in the water. One of the best things you can do is set a good example by wearing your life jacket. Children will learn that wearing a life jacket on a boat is an automatic and expected behavior, like buckling up in a car and wearing a helmet when riding a bike.

 

Taking the time to put these safety measures into place will help to keep summertime swimming a wonderful experience for you and your children. 

 

For more information go to the Safe Kids Worldwide website at usa.safekids.org

Karen Hardingham, RN, BSN

Safe Kids Baltimore Coordinator

University of MD Hospital for Children