Protecting your children from water hazards

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of five in sunshine state of California. Now that we are approaching summer, parents all over the U.S. should take time to educate themselves and their children on how to prevent accidental drowning.

Here are few ideas to help you:

  • Never leave children unattended in or near a body of water.
  • Do not depend solely on any barriers such as fences to protect your children.
  • Keep attractive things such as toys away from a body of water.
  • Do not rely on your child’s swimming lessons to protect him or her from drowning. Lessons may give them the confidence but still need adult supervision for kids around a body of water.
  • Keep all emergency and medical information including phone numbers within your reach and closer to say, the swimming pool.
  • Check fences and gates for proper operations such as self-closing and self-latching.
  • Parents should learn CPR and other critical life saving techniques.
  • Install a phone near the body of water or always have a portable phone available.
  • Temporary water play areas should be emptied and dried out after each use. Clean any standing water around swimming pool that can be a slip hazard.