Practicing water safety is a year-round endeavor for all families. Drowning hazards are ever present to young children and tragedies can happen when parents turn their backs – even for just a second. The following tips will help families protect their young children from an accidental or unsupervised water encounter.
Remember: These tips aren't just for pool safety. Hot tubs, spas, Jacuzzis, lakes, rivers,
retention ponds, irrigation ditches and flooded areas all pose a serious risk to your child.
1. Effective Supervision. There is only one thing in the world to protect your child against
drowning – effective supervision. Among every other tip provided, this is the most
important. Never turn your back on your child around water, ever.
2. Pool Safety (applies to all water areas). Covered pools and hot tubs can be a serious
hazard oversight for well-meaning parents during winter months. Make sure your pool or
hot tub is appropriately secured, year-round, with:
a. Pool alarms and alarms on all doorways that access a pool area.
b. Permanent pool fencing with a self-latching gate.
c. Locks on doors and windows that lead to the pool (locks must be out of the
child's reach).
9 Tips for Protecting Your Child in Water Environments