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Summertime is here, which means lazy days by the pool or at the beach. While this
can be fun, it can also be dangerous, especially with small children. According
to the Florida Department of Health, Florida leads the nation in young children
who drown, and 75% of children under 5 who drown are in private swimming pools.
While the statistics are scary, being around the water can still be fun and safe.
Here are some water safety tips provided by the American Red Cross:
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Protect your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays -- UVA increases the
risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases. UVB causes sunburn and
can lead to skin cancer. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between
10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at
least 15.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do not feel thirsty. Your
body needs water to keep cool.
Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly
but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer,
which dehydrates the body.
Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is life-threatening. The person's temperature
control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working.
The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if
the body is not cooled quickly.
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Hot, red, and usually dry skin, but in some cases such as during athletic activity
while wearing a helmet, the skin may be moist
Changes in consciousness
Rapid, weak pulse, and
Rapid, shallow breathing.
If you notice any of the symptoms, call 9-1-1 or your local EMS number.
Move the person to a cooler place.
Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet sheets around the body and fan it. If you
have ice packs or cold packs, place them on each of the victim's wrists and ankles,
in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels.
Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is clear.
Keep the person lying down.
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Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and protect against damage that can
occur from UV rays.
Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90
percent of UV sunlight.
Wear foot protection. Many times, people's feet can get burned from the sand or
cut from glass in the sand.
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Never leave a child unobserved near the water. Your eyes must be on the child
at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call
9-1-1 in an emergency.
Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care
for your child know CPR.
Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical
bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should
not be included as a part of the barrier.
The gate should be constructed so that it is self-latching and self-closing.
Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the
fence.
Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole,
rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children
into the pool.
Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan
the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
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Never leave a child unobserved near the water. Your eyes must be on the child
at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call
9-1-1 in an emergency.
Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care
for your child know CPR.
Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical
bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should
not be included as a part of the barrier.
The gate should be constructed so that it is self-latching and self-closing.
Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the
fence.
Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole,
rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children
into the pool.
Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan
the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool,
stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has
acquired and no matter how shallow the water. For younger children, practice "Reach
Supervision" by staying within an arm's length reach.
Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot
replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air,
or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn-to-Swim classes. Your decision
to provide your child with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will have
infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe practices. You can also purchase
a Water Safety Handbook at the Red Cross Store.
Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can be important around the
water and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child. You
can contact your local Red Cross to enroll in a CPR course.
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Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water
is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone.
Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.
Read and obey all rules and posted signs.
Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a U.S.
Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device (PFD) when around the water.
Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety,
too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities (for example,
inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep).
Be knowledgeable of the water environment you are in and its potential hazards,
such as deep and shallow areas, currents, depth changes, obstructions and where
the entry and exit points are located. The more informed you are, the more aware
you will be of hazards and safe practices.
Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first
indication of bad weather.
Use a feet-first entry when entering the water.
Enter headfirst only when the area is clearly marked for diving and has no obstructions.
Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Alcohol impairs your judgment,
balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces
your body's ability to stay warm.
Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.
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