Childhood safety and additional websites

Water safety

General recommendations

• A child should NEVER be unsupervised in or near water, even in bathtubs or shallow wading pools. Devices (such as bathtub seats or water wings) cannot be relied upon to keep them afloat and alive. Remember, children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water — and it can happen quickly. 
• Parents should learn infant/child cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.
• Children should learn to swim.  Enroll them in lessons when they are ready — usually at age 4. 

Inside your home

• Empty all buckets, containers and wading pools immediately after use. Store them upside-down and out of children’s reach.
• Keep toilet lids shut and use toilet locks.

• Always keep your bathroom door closed and install safety devices (such as doorknob covers) to keep your child out of the bathroom.

At the pool

• Pool owners must install a four-sided 5 foot high fence with a self-locking and closing gate around the pool.
• Pool drains can be very dangerous.  Teach children never to go near a pool drain with or without a cover and to pin up long hair when in water.
• Do not let children dive in water unless the child has learned proper diving techniques, an adult is supervising and the water is deeper than 9 feet.
• Know where the manual cut-off switch for the pump is in case of emergency. Consider installing an approved “safety vacuum release system” (SVRS), a tool that quickly and automatically turns off the pump (and stops the suction) when something is trapped in or blocks the drain.
• Parents may also want to check to be sure these steps are taken at community pools, whirlpools, spas and hot tubs.
• Make sure your child will be supervised if he is swimming in a friend’s pool.
• Keep rescue equipment and a phone near the pool at all times.

At the beach

• Pay attention to open water. Be aware of undercurrents and changing waves and undertows when at the ocean or lake.
• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal safety device around oceans, rivers, lakes or when participating in water sports.
• Always swim with a buddy. Swimming alone is very dangerous.

Content last reviewed: December 2009