Foster Care - Training - Water Safety Tips

To receive one training credit, please read the article below and answer the following questions.

General Water Safety Tips

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy, never swim alone.
Swim in supervised areas only, obey all rules and posted signs.
Watch out for the dangerous “too’s”—too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
Don’t mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body’s ability to stay warm.
Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.
Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.

Beach Safety

Protect your skin. Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays-UVA increases the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases. UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00AM and 4:00PM. Wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor containing a rating of 15 or higher.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even if you do not feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool.
Watch for signs of heat stroke. Heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim’s temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high, that brain damage and death may result, if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red, and dry skin, changes in consciousness, rapid, weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Call 9-1-1 immediately. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet towels around the body and fan them. If you have ice or cold containers, place them on the victim’s wrists and ankles, in the armpits, and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. Keep the person lying down.
Wear eye protection. Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90% of UV sunlight.
Wear foot protection: Many times, people’s feet can get burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.

Home Pools

Learn to swim and make sure your children know how to swim.
Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is strongly recommended.
Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency.
Learn CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your children know CPR.
Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should not be included as part of the barrier. The latch to open the gate should be high enough so a child cannot reach it.
Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. A pole, rope, and personal flotation devices are recommended.
Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
If a child is missing, check the pool first.
Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.
Do not depend on flotation devices and inflatable toys to protect your child. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath the child.

Lakes and Rivers

Learn to swim and make sure your children know how to swim.
Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.
Select an area that is clean and well maintained. A clean bathhouse, clean restrooms, and a litter-free environment show the management’s concern for your safety.
Select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs, and aquatic plant life are hazards.
Be sure rafts and docks are in good condition. Never swim under a dock or raft. Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to make sure no one is in the way.

Water Parks

Learn to swim and make sure your children know how to swim.
Be sure the area is well supervised by lifeguards before you and your children enter the water.
Read all posted signs. Follow the rules and directions given by the lifeguards. Ask questions if you are not sure of the procedures.
When you go from one attraction to another, note that the water depth may be different and the rules may be different.
Before you start down a water slide, get in the correct position-face up and feet first.
Some facilities provide life jackets at no charge. If you cannot swim, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Check others in your group, as well.