Young children are irresistibly drawn to water. These general water safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can help you keep your child and other children safe in and around your home, pools and spas.
General Water safety tips
- Maintain Constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment, no matter what skills you child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water.
- Do not rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices can suddenly shift position, lose air or slip out from underneath a child, creating a drowning hazard.
- Always lock or remove ladders from aboveground pools after use. Remove all toys from pools when not in use to avoid children being tempted to retrieve them.
- Hot tubs pose a drowning risk to children and overheating risks to very young children.
- Always secure safety covers and barriers to prevent children from gaining access to spas or hot tubs when not in use.
- If a child is missing, always look in the pool or spa first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
- Prevent entrapments. Suction from a pool or spa’s drain can be powerful enough to trap an adult. Do use a pool or spa if there are broken or missing drain covers. Ask you pool service operator if the pool’s drains are compliant with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
- Never leave a child unobserved in a pool. Adult supervision is essential and all non-swimmers should be kept within reach. A parent’s eyes must be on the child at all times!
- Keep a telephone handy so 911 can be dialed in an emergency situation.
- Keep rescue equipment by the pool.
- Parents should take an infant and child CPR course. Knowing these skills is important around water and will expand your capabilities to provide care for your child.
- Enroll Children in a water safety course or learn to swim program as young as you feel is appropriate. No one is “drownproof”, but water skill and behaviors can be learned.