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you are here: DentalPlans.com > Dental Health Articles > HealthnewsDigest.com > Three Ways to Become Water Wise
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Updated: 7/8/2009 5:00:30 PM |
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Augusta, Ga. - Since none of us are waterproof, it’s a good idea to be water wise.
Drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under age 14 and the leading cause of death among children between 1 and 4 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and non-fatal drowning is a leading cause of permanent brain damage. Here are three ways to become water wise and the safety measures that help you get there.
1. Establish and practice swimming rules. Those should include:
â— Always actively supervise children in and around water. Don’t
leave, even for a moment. Stay where you can see, hear and reach kids in
water. Avoid talking on the phone, preparing a meal, reading and other
distractions.
â— Make sure children take swimming lessons when they’re ready,
usually after age 4. Check with the local department of parks and
recreation or Red Cross chapter to find a certified instructor, and look
for classes that include emergency water survival techniques training.
â— Teach children to swim only in designated swimming areas and never
to swim without an adult watching them closely.
â— Don’t let children dive into water less than 9 feet deep, and no
one should dive into a river, lake or ocean because you can’t see what
is beneath the water.
â— Follow the posted rules at all swimming areas.
â— Teach kids the safe way to help someone in trouble in the water:
call for help and throw the person something that floats.
â— Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, such as a lifesaving ring, a
telephone and emergency phone numbers poolside.
2. Use barriers to keep kids away from water dangers.
â— Four-sided isolation fencing at least five feet high and equipped
with self-closing and self-latching gates should be installed around all
pools. This includes inflatable pools and spas.
â— Fencing should completely enclose the pool or spa and prevent
direct access from a house or yard.
â— Install pool alarms, pool covers, door alarms, locks and additional
barriers of protection.
â— Never prop open the gate to a pool barrier or leave toys that could
attract children to a pool.
â— Empty buckets, wading pools and other containers immediately after
use, and store them upside down and out of reach.
â— Though you may not associate drowning with a bathroom, it happens.
Keep toilet lids down and locked and doors to bathrooms and utility
rooms closed when not in use.
3. Don’t underestimate the dangers of pool drains.
â— Pool drains are an often-overlooked drowning hazard. Teach children
never to go near a pool drain, with or without a cover, and to pin up
long hair when in water.
â— Install multiple drains in all pools, spas, whirlpools and hot
tubs. This minimizes the suction of any one drain, reducing risk of
death or injury.
â— Regularly check to make sure drain covers are secure and have no
cracks. Replace flat drain covers with dome-shaped ones.
â— Know where the manual cut-off switch for the pump is in case of
emergency.
â— Consider installing an approved safety vacuum release system, a
tool that quickly and automatically turns off the pump (and stops the
suction) when something is trapped in or blocks the drain.
It wouldn’t be summer without a visit to the lake, the beach or a
friend’s pool to cool off during the dog days. But before you head for
the wet stuff, be sure your family is aware of the dangers to ensure
safer water fun.
(Sidebar)
Numbers that speak volumes
â— Children can drown in as little as one inch of water and are
therefore also at risk of drowning in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets,
diaper pails, toilets, spas and hot tubs.
â— More than half of drownings among children ages 1 to 4 are
pool-related.
â— Since 1980, more than 230 children ages 4 and under have drowned in
spas and hot tubs.
â— Installation of four-sided isolation fencing could prevent 50 to 90
percent of childhood residential swimming pool drownings and
near-drownings.
â— Children ages 5 to 14 most often drown at open-water sites such as
rivers, lakes and oceans.
â— In 2003, 200 children ages 14 and under sustained injuries in
reported recreational boating accidents involving personal watercraft.
â— Approximately half of all boating deaths occur on Saturdays and
Sundays and between the months of May and August.
â— It is estimated that 85 percent of boating-related drownings could
have been prevented if the victim had been wearing a personal flotation
device.
Source: Safe Kids East Central, led by the MCGHealth Children’s
Medical Center
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation
operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical
Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient
facilities and services throughout the state. For more information,
please visit mcghealth.org.
Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and be eligible for Health News, discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7.
HealthNewsDigest.com
Read Original Article
© 2009 HealthnewsDigest.com
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