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ABCs of Water Safety for Adults
ADULT supervision:
- Parents, teach your children never to get in the pool without an adult.
- Put your cell phone away.
- Stay engaged with your child.
- Never be more than an arms-length away.
- If you are at a public pool, ensure a certified lifeguard is on duty.
- Assign a water watcher: determine which adult in your party is in charge of exclusively watching the children in the water. Take turns! But be aware that it is important to communicate who the watcher is.
BARRIERS:
- All pools should have a barrier around them.
- Make sure the door is closed leading into the pool. You do not want people coming in or out without you knowing it
- If you have a backyard pool, be sure to have a secure barrier and check to make sure your drains are compliant with VGB
- Be aware if there are barriers set up at a public pool. Only swim where it is permitted
CLASSES:
- Enroll your children in swim lessons. Look for lessons that teach the children to be comfortable and confident in the water. Swimmers need to understand and “feel” buoyancy and balance to make them safer in the water. This approach helps children to react to new situations that may occur in the water
- Consider taking some swimming classes to brush up on your swimming skills
- Take a CPR class. CPR is essential in an emergency.
The 1, 2, 3s of Water Safety for Children
1. Never swim alone
- Never swim alone
- Be sure to stay with your parents or other adults.
- Be sure to tell your adult that you are going in the water
- Remind your adult to watch you
- Learn what a lifeguard is and where they sit or stand
- Listen to the lifeguard
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2. Know your surroundings
- Know where the lifeguard is
- Know where the shallow end is and where the deep end starts
- Do not run around the pool. The deck gets slippery
- Do not push anyone in the water
- Do not jump or dive in the shallow water
- Look before you leap. Make sure other swimmers are out of the way before you jump in
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3. Take swimming classes
- Listen to your instructor / follow directions
- Trust your instructor
- Try new things
- Learn to blow bubbles
- Learn to float on your stomach and back
- Learn to kick
- Learn to take a breath when you swim
- Learn to move your arms
- Learn the 1, 2, 3’s of water safety
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Drowning is the 3rd
leading cause of unintentional injury
death worldwide, accounting for
7% of all injury-related deaths.
There are an estimated
320 000 annual drowning deaths
worldwide and more than
half are children
Global estimates may
significantly underestimate
the actual public health
problem related to drowning.
