Summer Water Safety Tips
Last week we saw the official start of summer! If you live in Arizona, this means nothing to you. Arizona seasons are known, unofficially, as hot, very hot, extremely hot, and “Arizona Summer”. Welcome to “Arizona Summer”, Arizona! With the start of this season, we know you’ll be cooling off by diving into large bodies of water–be it lakes, rivers, or pools. With great water fun comes great responsibility. We encourage safety every day at work, but we also encourage you to practice great safety during your time off the clock as well. Water can be surprisingly dangerous, so we want to remind you of some important summer safety tips!
- Always, always, always watch your kids around water. Obviously you know to watch your kids when the family is swimming, but people often forget to be on high alert where swimming isn’t a planned activity like parks with lakes or a gathering at a friend’s house. Kids can easily run away from the crowd and get into trouble by falling into the water. You want to make sure you know where large bodies of water are and keep track of your child around them. It only takes a couple of inches of water to cause real danger.
Enroll the Kids in swimming classes (or teach them yourself if you feel up to it). This one is self explanatory.
When swimming or playing in water, be physically close. Even if the kids are great swimmers, you always want to make sure you’re close, physically, to the kids. All too often, drownings occur when a parent thinks they can run into the kitchen to grab a snack. Being close when an accident occurs can give you a chance to prevent disaster.- Wear sunscreen. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen frequently when spending time outside! The sunrays can sneak up on you, especially in Arizona. It’s important to apply high SPF sunscreen every hour when spending any time playing outdoors, including waterplay. Reminder: UV rays are strongest between 10:00am and 4:00pm, limit your time outdoors between these hours if possible.
- Practice safety drills. If they’re old enough, make sure your kids know what to do in case of a water emergency. Practice safety drills where you demonstrate how to spot a water emergency (signs of drowning) and what to do once a situation is recognized. This can include teaching your child to roll over and float on their back if they think they’re in trouble. Knowing to stay calm and follow a set of steps can help your children save their own or each other’s lives.
- Drink water. As always, make sure everyone is staying hydrated! When swimming, it is hard to recognize when your body is dehydrated, but it can be just as dangerous as if you were out of the water. Be sure to hydrate before, during, and after any amount of activity.
We hope you all have fun this summer spending time with your families, but stay hydrated and safe!
For more water safety tips, visit: http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay by Taniadimas.