Ensuring water safety for children is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help keep kids safe around water:
General Water Safety
Supervision: Always keep an eye on children when they are in or near water. Never leave them unattended.
Learn to Swim: Enroll children in swimming lessons to teach them essential water survival skills.
Life Jackets: Use life jackets for children who cannot swim or when boating.
Barriers: Install fences around pools with self-closing and self-latching gates.
Emergency Preparedness: Learn CPR and keep a phone nearby to call for help if needed.
Home Water Safety
Bathtubs: Never leave a child alone in the bathtub. Use non-slip mats to prevent falls.
Toilets: Keep toilet lids closed and use toilet locks.
Buckets and Containers: Store buckets empty and out of reach. Empty kiddie pools when not in use.
Open Water Safety
Swimming Skills:
Ensure children can:
- Step or jump into water over their head and return to the surface.
- Turn around in the water and orient to safety.
- Float or tread water.
- Combine breathing with forward movement in the water.
- Exit the water safely.
Designated Swimming Areas: Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
Weather Awareness: Check weather conditions before swimming in open water
