Water safety
swim; swimming; pool; water; safe; safety; drown; drowning; supervision; fence; fencing; first; aid; royal; life; saving; bath; farm; dam;
river ;
Contents
The 2007 Australian National Drowning Report showed that 27 infants and toddlers lost their lives through drowning in the financial year ending 30 June 2008. More children die from drowning than from motor vehicle accidents.
Drowning can happen because of:
- the environment – the pool or other risky area is not fenced
- the age of a child – young children are not aware of risks and cannot keep themselves safe
- inadequate supervision.
Many child drownings happen at home in the family pool. Some children drown even when there are adults near. It is important to have swimming pools fenced safely and to supervise young children at all times when they are near a pool or other water.
Alert!
Young children can drown very quickly and quietly. Young children can drown in only a few inches of water. No safety precautions can take the place of adult supervision.
Learn first aid skills - they save lives.
Supervision - keep watch & keep them alive!
This information was developed by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. For further information visit www.royallifesaving.com.au
What is Supervision?
- Supervision is constant visual contact with your child.
- You should be within arms reach and be in a position to respond quickly.
- It is not an occasional glance while you nap, read or undertake household chores, and it is not looking out at your kids playing outside while you are inside.
- If you have to leave the swimming pool - take the child with you.
Why do I need to supervise so actively?
- The lack of direct adult supervision was the main factor in 70% of toddler drowning deaths.
- Indirect supervision has resulted in the loss of many young lives, proving that when a parent’s or carer's attention is focused on something else, tragedies can occur.
Can older kids watch younger kids?
- No. Leaving young children in the care of other siblings has been a factor in a number of toddler drowning deaths.
- Older children are not equipped with the skills to perceive and respond to an emergency situation, nor should they be given this responsibility.
How can I best supervise my child?
- By being within arms reach and engaged and interacting with your child when they are in, on or around water.
What is the best way to supervise children at parties?
- If there is a small number of children, make an adult responsible for their care. If this person leaves they should ask someone else to take over.
- If there are a large number of children, leave an adult stationed at different places where the children will play, to monitor the area.
Supervision checklist:
- Have you brought all the clothes, towels and gear, so you do not need to stop watching your child in, or near water?
- Are you prepared to get wet? Active supervision often means getting in the water with the child.
- Have you taken the phone with you? Better yet, turn on the answer machine and let it take the call.
- Are you are within arms reach of your child at all times?
- Do you undertake other activities while your child is in, or near water? Remember that this lessens your attention on the child.
Baths
- Never leave young children alone in a bath.
- Empty the bath tub after use.
- Never leave a baby alone in a bath seat (bath cradle). Some babies have drowned when they slipped through the holes in the bath seat, or when it tipped over (suction cups did not hold it properly).
- If you have to leave the bathroom - take the child with you.
Swimming pools
- Swimming pool owners are responsible for the safety of all people who use the pool, not only family or invited guests.
- Make sure your swimming pool is securely fenced, and the gate is always closed.
- Fencing a pool correctly has been shown to be the most effective way of reducing drowning of young children.
- Make sure there is nothing near the pool fence that a child could use to climb over it.
- A fact sheet about Fencing pools (PDF document) is on the Royal Life Saving Society Australia website.
- When older children can swim well, make some family rules about pool safety, eg. 'no running on the pool surround', 'never swim alone'.
- When the pool is not in use, keep it clear of toys and other floating equipment that might attract children.
- Keep a resuscitation guide for children near your pool. These can be obtained from The Royal Life Saving Society Australia.
Learn first aid skills - they save lives.
Above ground swimming pools
- Since January 2004 in South Australia, all above ground swimming pools deeper than 300mm and with a water filtration system require council approval.
- Councils will then check the details and location of safety barriers, the safety of the pump and the strength of the structure supporting the pool walls.
- Fences and barriers will need to be the same as the ones needed for in ground pools.
Babies in pools
It can be very enjoyable to have a young child sharing family fun in a pool, but it is important to be sure that the water is clean enough to be safe, is warm enough and that there is always an adult close to the baby to keep your baby safe.
Some of the things to think about include:
- Can you be sure that you can keep your baby safe from drowning? No baby, even those who enjoy being in water, can keep themselves safe from drowning. Babies and toddlers have drowned in very shallow pools (ones that have less then 5 cm of water for example). If you take a baby into a pool you must be able to lift the baby out of the water at all times!!
- Is the pool water safe for the baby to drink (as free as possible from germs)? All babies will swallow some water while they are in a pool. If the pool is a small paddling pool, make sure that new water is used each time the pool is used.
- In a larger pool where water is not emptied after each use, is the chlorine level and pH level correct so that it won't irritate your baby's eyes? Many children get sore eyes when they get into pool water and some get sinusitis as well from the irritation of chlorine or water that is not the correct pH.
- Is the pool water the correct temperature? Babies can become too cold (or too hot) more easily than older children and adults if the water temperature is too cold or too hot.
- Finally, what risk does your baby pose to other pool users? Babies cannot control their urine or poo. They are very likely to wee or poo in a pool because of the temperature change and the relaxation that can happen when the baby is in water. If your baby has had a recent infection, the infection can easily be passed to other people if they swallow some of the water (and most children do swallow water in a pool). Have a look at the topic Healthy swimming in pools for more information.
Babies can enjoy being in water if they share time in a pool with their family, but there are many risks, and a responsible adult must be with the baby at all times.
Farm water
- If you live in the country make sure that dams, irrigation channels and underground tanks are securely fenced from young children.
- If you cannot fence the dam, make sure that the area that the child plays in is securely fenced so that the child cannot reach the dam.
For more ideas and information, have a look at the Royal Life Saving Society Australia fact sheet 'Farm water safety' (PDF document).
Water around the house and in the garden
- Do not leave nappy buckets or any other containers with water in them where children can reach them.
- Cover garden ponds and water features with strong mesh or fence them. (Recently there has been an increase in toddlers drowning in garden ponds).
- Empty paddle pools after use.
- Check your garden after rain or watering to make sure water has not collected in any empty containers, old tyres etc.
- If you have a spa make sure that it is securely covered or not able to be reached by children.
Learning to swim
Teaching young children to swim is not enough to protect them from drowning.
- Young children are unable to learn to swim until they are around 5 years old.
- Under this age they may be able to enjoy and learn some skills, but even when they are 5, children are not old enough to keep themselves safe.
- Take your children into a pool to help them to get used to the water (water familiarisation).
- Getting used to the water is an important start to learning swimming and water safety. However, if young children are happy in the water they may be at higher risk of drowning because they want to be in the water.
- All children of school age should be taught to swim and about water safety. Younger children can be taught to swim if they are ready and willing, however this does not "drown proof" them.
- Young children should always be supervised by adults, even if they can swim.
Flotation devices for children
- Flotation devices such as 'floaties' will not protect young children from drowning. No flotation device is intended to take the place of parent supervision.
- If children require equipment to protect them from drowning, eg. if they are going out in a boat, they need a life jacket or buoyancy vest with an Australian Standards approval. These can be bought from boating shops.
- There are various types of flotation devices available to support beginning swimmers.
- Most of these are suitable for use with young children if they are well made and used in the intended manner eg. rings, floaties, bubble back packs, flotation suits, buoyancy vests and life jackets.
- All swimming or flotation aids should only be used for the specific age and size of child and the specific intended purposes, eg. a baby should not be using a bubble back pack.
- Check with sales staff and package labels to be sure that what you buy is right for the child who will be using it. Check for age, size and intended use.
- Children must always be supervised when using them, as something could go wrong with the device, eg. rubber could deflate, or the child could slip out of them or turn upside down.
- Check that fasteners fasten securely, and that there are no holes or slow leaks.
- Damaged articles should be replaced.
Spa pools and spa baths
Spa pools are not safe for babies.
- It is easy for a baby to slip out of a person's arms and drown.
- Also the water in the spa is often too hot for a baby.
- Unless the water is very clean the bubbles and steam can carry germs into the baby's airways which could cause serious illness. The heated water of spas is a great place for bacteria and yeast bugs (such as tinea to grow).
- If water is left in the spa and reused, the extra treatment needed to keep germ levels acceptable (such as even higher levels of chlorine) makes the water even more irritating to babies' and children's eyes.
Spa baths, because of the soap that is used in them, are a special risk because a slippery baby is harder to keep safe from drowning.
Spas should not be used for children until they are able to sit in the spa by themselves with their head well above the water level.
For general safety guidelines for spa pools, check the SA Government guidelines on http://www.dh.sa.gov.au//PEHS/topics/topic-spa-pools.htm
Personal watercraft
- Personal watercraft, such as jet skis, are causing an increasing number of injuries and even deaths.
- Although some of the deaths have been caused by drowning, more often injuries and deaths are caused by colliding with something – either other watercraft or fixed objects such as docks or trees.
- These craft are difficult to handle because they can only be steered when the engine is going so that to avoid hitting something the driver cannot cut the throttle without losing the ability to steer (cutting the throttle is the only way of stopping - there are no brakes).
- The main causes of injuries are lack of experience, excessive speed and inattention.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests the following safety rules:
- No-one under 16 years should operate personal watercraft.
- The driver and every passenger must wear an approved flotation device (life jacket).
- Alcohol and drugs should be not be used before operating personal watercraft.
- Safe practices should be used such as not using them at night, not jumping wakes, observing speed limits and keeping away from areas where there are swimmers in the water.
- If the watercraft is towing someone, an extra person on the craft is needed to be facing backwards to check that the person being towed is alright.
- Protective equipment such as wet suits, gloves, boots, eyewear and helmets should be considered.
Resources
South Australia
Australia
References
Royal Life Saving Society Australia Fact sheets
http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/www/html/156-fact-sheets.asp
Royal Lifesaving Society of Australia '2008 The National Drowning Report'
Kidsafe. Ph: 8161 6318.
http://www.kidsafe.com.au/
Planning SA. 'Swimming pool safety?'.
http://www.planning.sa.gov.au/go/building/...
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.