General Water Safety
Home Pools
Keeping Children Safe In, On, And Around The Water
Lakes And Rivers

Summer brings outdoor activities at the pool and on the lakes and rivers. Here are some tips from the American Red Cross to help keep safe:


General Water Safety

• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
  
  
• Swim in supervised areas only.
  
  
• Obey all rules and posted signs.
  
  
• Watch out for the "dangerous too's"--too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
  
  
• Don't mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol impairs your judgement, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.
  
  
• Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.
  
  
• Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies
  
  
  

Home Pools

• Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
  
  
• Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
  
  
• Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your child know CPR.
  
  
• Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
  
  
• Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. If the house is part of the barrier, the doors leading from the house to the pool should remain locked and be protected with an alarm that produces sounds when the door is unexpectedly opened.
  
  
• Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
  
  
• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
  
  
• Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
  
  
• Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
  
  
• To learn more about home pool safety, you can purchase the video It Only Takes a Minute from your local Red Cross chapter.
  
  
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
  
  
  

Keeping Children Safe In, On, And Around The Water

• Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water.
  
  
• Don't 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.
  
  
• Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn to Swim program. Your decision to provide your child with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe practices. You can also purchase a Community Water Safety manual at your local Red Cross.
  
  
• Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can be important around the water and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child. You can Contact your local Red Cross chapter to enroll in a CPR for Infants and Child course.
  
  
  

Lakes And Rivers

• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
  
  
• Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.
  
  
• Select an area that is clean and well maintained. A clean bathhouse, clean restrooms, and a litter-free environment show the management's concern for your health and safety.
  
  
• Select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs, and aquatic plant life are hazards. Water pollution can cause health problems for swimmers. Strong tides, big waves, and currents can turn an event that began as fun into a tragedy.
  
  
• Make sure the water is deep enough before entering headfirst. Too many swimmers are seriously injured every year by entering headfirst into water that is too shallow. A feetfirst entry is much safer than diving.
  
  
• Be sure rafts and docks are in good condition. A well-run open-water facility maintains its rafts and docks in good condition, with no loose boards or exposed nails. Never swim under a raft or dock. Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to be sure no one is in the way.
  
  
• Avoid drainage ditches and arroyos. Drainage ditches and arroyos for water run-off are not good places for swimming or playing in the water. After heavy rains, they can quickly change into raging rivers that can easily take a human life. Even the strongest swimmers are no match for the power of the water. Fast water and debris in the current make ditches and arroyos very dangerous.

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