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Keep a phone handy in the pool area but use it only for emergencies.
Supervision and awareness are vital to preventing accidental drownings. Distractions such as answering the phone, texting or engaging in social media, or interacting with guests are the main reasons adults take their eyes off children, and that’s when accidents happen. Never leave children alone in or around water, not even for a second! Preventive measures are also a key part of water safety. Fences, latched gates and locked doors are among the various methods that, combined with supervision, can prevent drownings. Here are some ways you can prevent an accident.
Be safe in and around the water, especially when children are present. Nicklaus Children’s is offering a free laminated “Water Watcher” cards to South Florida families. The wearer of the card is the designated Water Watcher to ensure children are kept safe. The card can be passed from one watcher to the next to ensure someone is always responsible for supervising children near water.
Click here to request your Water Watcher card now!
Pool Tips:
- ALWAYS supervise children in and around water. Children of any age can get in trouble in the water.
- Use a barrier such as a pool fence with a self-locking gate to prevent little ones from accessing the pools.
- Regularly check the gate/barrier for broken latches, rusty hinges and worn springs. Oil the hinges and latches, and make sure they are in proper working order.
- Empty kiddie pools when not in use and remove steps to above ground pools when not in use.
- NEVER leave toys or floating items in the pool that may tempt a child to reach into the pool.
- NEVER leave the gate or entrance propped open.
- Mark the deep and shallow ends of the pool.
- Maintain secure covers to pool drains, vacuum outlets, and skimmers.
- Post CPR instructions in the pool area. Familiarize yourself with them. Take a CPR course.
- Keep a pole with a shepherd’s hook near the pool area for lifesaving purposes.
Yard Tips:
- Lock backyard gates and front doors. If your house is on a canal or lake, put up a wall or fence barrier.
- A child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Empty standing water from kiddie pools and spa covers and buckets.
- Don’t leave outdoor furniture near the pool fence. Children can use it to climb over the fence. Place furniture inside the locked fence where it will be inaccessible.
Home Tips:
- Install self-closing mechanisms on exterior doors and door sensors.
- Attach hook-and-eye latches at the top of doors as added prevention.
- Don’t fall into a false sense of security: A 4- or 5- year old can easily drag a chair to the door and flip a latch open.
- Lock pet doors. Small children can easily fit through them.
- Keep windows, doors and sliding doors locked at all times. Put keys out of reach of
- children.
Things to Remember
- BE SAFE: Prevent access to your pool or spa using fences and self-locking gates.
- BE SECURE: Lock the doors, windows, pet doors and gates leading to your back yard and pool/spa.
- BE ALERT: Pay attention to your kids the ENTIRE time they’re around water – ANY WATER! Never assume a child is accident proof just because they’ve had swimming instructions.
- BE READY: Take classes on how to administer lifesaving CPR and enroll kids in water-safety lessons.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
