Water Wise

1
Water Wise

• As temperatures rise,
• stay safety wise

illustrations used by permission from LEE LOW
BOOKS, leeandlow.com  
2
Facts about drowning

• Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of injury
  related death for
• Children ages 1-14. T or F
• Drowning is the leading cause of injury
  related death among
• Children ages 1- 4. T or F
• In Texas nearly 300 people drown every year.
  T or F
• In Harris County twice as many children 1
  4 years old have died from drowning than from any
  other cause. T or F
• Texas Department of Health estimates that
  from May 1 August 31 there is a drowning every
  other day in Harris county. T or F
• A swimming pool is much more likely than a
  motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a
  child age 4 and under. T or F

3
Drowning HappensQuickly and Silently

• Children usually slip under the surface
  before they even have a chance to yell for help.
  A child can drown during routine household
  activities with adult supervision In the
  time that it takes to

Cross a room for a towel (10 sec), a child in a
bathtub can be submerged
Answer the phone (2 minutes), a child can loose
consciousness
Sign for a package at the front door (4-6
minutes), a child submerged in tub or pool can
result in permanent brain damage Answer the phone
(2 minutes), a child can loose consciousness
4
What you need know to stay water safe at home

• Never leave children alone
  near water.

Dont rely
on an older brother or sister to watch another
child.
Always supervise a child in a bath tub.
Dont rely on bathtub rings, etc
Empty buckets and wading pools and turn them
upside down when not in use.
Always keep
the toilet lid down, and use toilet locks.
Keep bathroom
door closed and locked.
5
What you need know to be safe at
the pool
Children involved in drowning accidents were
last seen in the house prior to being found in
the pool.

• All doors and windows should be locked and should
  be protected by an alarm

• Fences at least 6 feet tall are required
  around of Houston homes with swimming pools

• A separate fence all around the pool should be
  at least 4 feet high

Pool gates should open away from the pool, and
should be self closing and locking
Pool covers or nets can be used to keep
children from accidentally falling into swimming
pool
6
What you need know to be safe at public pools,
lakes and beaches

• Establish safety rules before leaving home
• NEVER leave a child alone in or around water
• Adults should use touch supervision with young
  children. The adult should be within arms reach
  of the child at all times.
• Assign an adult Water Watcher to monitor
  children in and around the water.
• Young children and inexperienced swimmers should
  always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life
  jacket.
• At lakes and beaches look for warning flags to
  determine water conditions.
• Look for large waves, and dont swim if surf is
  dangerous.

7
What you need know to be safe at public pools,
lakes and beaches- contd

• Enroll children over the age of 3 in swimming
  lessons taught by qualified instructors
• REMEMBER- Swimming lessons do not make your child
  Drown-Proof!
• Pay attention to local weather conditions. If
  lightning and thunder, get out of water until the
  storm has passed.
• Swim in supervised areas only- NEVER SWIM ALONE
• Watch for dangerous TOOs- Too Tired, Too Cold,
  Too Far from Safety, Too Much Sun, Too Much
  Strenous Activity
• Dont dive into unknown bodies of water. Jump in
  feet first to avoid hitting your head on the
  shallow bottom
• Avoid swimming in dark or murky water

8
Be water wiseplan to be safe

• Teach children to swim
• Always watch children in and around the water-
  keep them in arms reach
• Wear U.S. Coast Guard Approved life jackets
• Bring cell phone in case of emergencies
• Always have first aid kit and emergency contacts
  handy
• Keep lifesaving items near the pool (shepherds
  crook, floatation ring, etc.)

9
Be Waterwise Plan ahead for safe and fun summer
and
illustrations used by permission from LEE LOW
BOOKS, leeandlow.com  
10
Waterwise Pool and Water Safety

• Saulette OmekeHealth Educator
• Health Education and Promotion