Water safety tips
ools are opening across the area this weekend, and it's a good time to remember some important water safety tips.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. On average, 3,533 people die as a result of drowning each year, and most of those deaths are children under the age of 4 who drown in backyard swimming pools.The tragedy of these statistics is nearly all drowning deaths are preventable.To help educate children, parents, families and swim instructors on preventive measures to avoid a drowning incident, the U.S. Swim School Association has compiled the latest lifesaving water safety and swim instruction tips for National Water Safety Month in May.There are several standard water safety precautions recommended to parents including: keeping children under constant supervision, enrolling children in swimming lessons, knowing CPR and having pool fences and barriers installed.In addition to these vital steps, USSSA has created a list of tips parents can use to build extra layers of protection for their children around water.Drowning prevention and water safety tips• Create a verbal cue for your toddler or child that must be given by you before he or she can enter the pool.• Never allow your baby/toddler in the pool without a swim diaper.• Create a process the child must go through before entering a pool such as putting on a swim diaper, a swimsuit and applying sunscreen.• Never use flotation devices or water wings when swimming or when teaching kids to swim.• Children should learn to swim without goggles. Teach your children to open their eyes under water; if they fall in they can find the side of the pool or a step and get out safely.• For very young children practice having them put their entire face under water in the bathtub and blow bubbles to build their comfort with water.• Create a water safety plan for your family and have water emergency drills with your kids covering how to recognize the signs of someone struggling in water and what to do in this type of emergency.• Make sure your guests and kids' friends know your pool rules before they go outside and get in the pool.• Start swim lessons at 6 months of age and continue them year-round.Make water safety your priorityThe American Red Cross has some additional tips to stay safe.• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.• Always swim with a buddy. Even at a public pool or a lifeguarded beach, use the buddy system.• Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child's life to another child.• Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits based on each person's ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, and do not allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests.• Even if you don't plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.• If you go boating, wear a life jacket. Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.• Avoid alcohol use. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance and coordination; affects swimming and diving skills; and reduces the body's ability to stay warm.• Install barriers around your pool or hot tub. Safety covers and alarms should be added as additional layers of protection. Barriers should enclose the entire pool area, be at least 4 feet high with gates that are self-closing, self-latching and open outward, and away from the pool. The latch should be high enough to be out of a small child's reach. If you have an above-ground or inflatable pool, remove access ladders and secure the safety cover when the pool is not in use.• Remove any structures that provide access to the pool, such as outdoor furniture, climbable trees, decorative walls and playground equipment.• Keep toys that are not in use away from the pool and out of sight. Toys can attract young children to the pool.• Actively supervise kids whenever around the water.• Always stay within arm's reach of young children and avoid distractions when supervising children around water.• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.For more information about USSSA visit
http://www.usswimschools.org.For more information about the American Red Cross, visit