Swimming can be one of the most important and life saving skills that you can ever learn, but learning about safety while you are in or near the water can be just as crucial. There are a lot of things that you should take into consideration before going swimming, whether it is in your own pool, a community pool, or another location such as a river or ocean.
Locations with wildlife can be dangerous to swim in, especially beaches, since there are sharks, jellyfish, and other things that can either attack you or make you extremely sick. This is why you should pay attention to any signs that are posted near beaches, since these will usually give you information about any wildlife you need to pay attention to that are in the area during the summer. Box jellyfish off the coast of northern Australia are particularly dangerous to swimmers and it is best not to swim in this region between the beginning of November and May.
If you can swim in an area with a lifeguard, you should do so, since the lifeguard is supposed to be trained in both first aid and CPR. This ensures that you and the rest of your family have a good time and are relatively safe, although everyone should take an opportunity to learn CPR and other first aid skills.
Never dive into an area of a pool unless you know that it is safe to dive in due to signs posted or by physically judging the depth of the water yourself. Never jump into a body of water unless you know for sure how deep it is and you can never tell this just by looking at it.
Children that you take swimming with you should be wearing floatation devices at all times and be supervised. Even if there is a lifeguard on duty, they can still drown or become injured, since there are probably a lot of other people that the lifeguard has to supervise.
Another good rule to live by is if you drink, there are quite a few activities that you should not be doing. Swimming is included among driving, boating, or diving. Drinking alcohol is known to impair a number of different senses necessary to conduct these activities responsibly and has caused a massive number of deaths in the past and continues to in the present. Please drink responsibly and not while swimming.
Showing posts with label family water safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family water safety. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Staying Safe Around Water
Lots of homeowners who have the space to accommodate one are considering having a pool put in the backyard, but after the pool gets installed and filled with water, do they really know all the safety rules that they need to go over with their family before it gets used? There are quite a few safety rules concerning the pool and the surrounding area and we are here to tell you what they are.
The first thing you need to have is a fence so you can close off the pool to small children and intruders. What many homeowners do not realize when they install a pool is that if a child wanders onto your property and drowns in it, most courts will say that you are liable simply because you did not have it blocked off. A fence may be expensive, but this is really something that you need to have to keep the children in your neighborhood safe and to keep yourself safe from a lawsuit.
One of the benefits of a community pool that you do not have at home is a lifeguard that is trained in CPR and first aid. This means that you should take it upon yourself to learn these skills, even if you think that an accident cannot happen as long as you are there. It can and if you are not prepared for it, it can cost a life.
One thing that you should consider purchasing if you have small children in your home are Safety Turtle wrist bands that have a base station and if the band becomes submerged underwater, the base station emits an alarm that tells you that the child has gotten into the pool. Both the wristband and the base station will cost you around $175, but the peace of mind that it will give you is priceless.
Make sure all the members of your household do not run around the edge of the pool, since there is a high risk of falling into the pool, hitting your head, and passing out under the water or just hitting your head on the side without actually falling in. Either one could be life threatening, so make sure that the big kids in your house show the smaller ones that running around the pool is not okay.
The first thing you need to have is a fence so you can close off the pool to small children and intruders. What many homeowners do not realize when they install a pool is that if a child wanders onto your property and drowns in it, most courts will say that you are liable simply because you did not have it blocked off. A fence may be expensive, but this is really something that you need to have to keep the children in your neighborhood safe and to keep yourself safe from a lawsuit.
One of the benefits of a community pool that you do not have at home is a lifeguard that is trained in CPR and first aid. This means that you should take it upon yourself to learn these skills, even if you think that an accident cannot happen as long as you are there. It can and if you are not prepared for it, it can cost a life.
One thing that you should consider purchasing if you have small children in your home are Safety Turtle wrist bands that have a base station and if the band becomes submerged underwater, the base station emits an alarm that tells you that the child has gotten into the pool. Both the wristband and the base station will cost you around $175, but the peace of mind that it will give you is priceless.
Make sure all the members of your household do not run around the edge of the pool, since there is a high risk of falling into the pool, hitting your head, and passing out under the water or just hitting your head on the side without actually falling in. Either one could be life threatening, so make sure that the big kids in your house show the smaller ones that running around the pool is not okay.
How To Keep Your Family Safe Around Water
Having a pool in the backyard is a privilege that a large number of homeowners do not have, so the rest of us who are fortunate enough to have one need to appreciate it by making sure that everyone in the home and everyone who visits it frequently knows the safety rules outside by the pool.
The most important “accessory” that you can have around the pool is a fence. This will keep intruders and children from your neighborhood out of the pool as long as you keep it locked and the fence is high enough. The reason to keep intruders (pool hoppers) out of it is obvious, but many homeowners do not know that if a child gets into your pool or falls into it and drowns, you are responsible because it happened on your property. The gate to your pool should be kept locked with a padlock at all times. As long as it is locked, the chance that someone will get in your pool without your knowledge is very slim.
If you have children in your home and you do not want them in the pool without your permission, there is an wrist strap that you can purchase called Safety Turtle that you can use to keep them out of it. When it is submerged underwater, the base station that you purchase to go with it sounds an alarm to let you know that the child is in the pool. Even though this kid for a single child (you can purchase more wrist bands if you need to) will cost you around $175 - $200, it will make you feel a lot safer about having a pool in your backyard.
All of the adults in your home need to know CPR if you are going to have a pool. Lifeguards at community pools always know CPR and first aid because they are required to, but you do not have this at your home unless you decide to learn it yourself.
Children should not be allowed in the pool unsupervised, especially if they are inexperienced swimmers. When you do allow them in the pool, they should be wearing the appropriate safety devices like arm floaters or a life jacket, depending on their age. Their low level of experience should restrict them to the shallow end of the pool where the water should not be higher than chest deep.
The most important “accessory” that you can have around the pool is a fence. This will keep intruders and children from your neighborhood out of the pool as long as you keep it locked and the fence is high enough. The reason to keep intruders (pool hoppers) out of it is obvious, but many homeowners do not know that if a child gets into your pool or falls into it and drowns, you are responsible because it happened on your property. The gate to your pool should be kept locked with a padlock at all times. As long as it is locked, the chance that someone will get in your pool without your knowledge is very slim.
If you have children in your home and you do not want them in the pool without your permission, there is an wrist strap that you can purchase called Safety Turtle that you can use to keep them out of it. When it is submerged underwater, the base station that you purchase to go with it sounds an alarm to let you know that the child is in the pool. Even though this kid for a single child (you can purchase more wrist bands if you need to) will cost you around $175 - $200, it will make you feel a lot safer about having a pool in your backyard.
All of the adults in your home need to know CPR if you are going to have a pool. Lifeguards at community pools always know CPR and first aid because they are required to, but you do not have this at your home unless you decide to learn it yourself.
Children should not be allowed in the pool unsupervised, especially if they are inexperienced swimmers. When you do allow them in the pool, they should be wearing the appropriate safety devices like arm floaters or a life jacket, depending on their age. Their low level of experience should restrict them to the shallow end of the pool where the water should not be higher than chest deep.
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