Make sure you stop, look and be safe in and around your home.
Home is the central hub for family
life and while we all see our homes as the ultimate safe place for our
children, everyday items in and around the home can become water safety
dangers and risks.
With the highest drowning rates globally
being among children aged 1-4 years, it is not just being out and about,
around large quantities of water like swimming pools and lakes that put
young children at risk.
Hazards change in the home according
to the child’s age and development so it is important to be aware of
creating a safe home for your children looking at their age and
abilities.
Children aged under 12 months can drown very
quickly and in very little water, including water containers that may
not be perceived as risks.
Toddlers and young children may be
mobile, but are too young to recognise danger, and they can easily fall
into water and struggle to get out. The absence of barriers and
momentary lapses in supervision put toddlers at risk.
The
number of drownings that occur around the home are low compared to those
at other locations. However, drownings around the home are also very
preventable.
Michael Dunn, Deputy Director of Education & Research of the Royal Life Saving Society said “Of course we all keep our children under close supervision, especially when there is water around, but it is natural that occasionally something will draw our attention away, and that is when having a ‘water safe’ home helps to keep children safe”.
Follow these water safety tips to ensure your home is ‘water safe’:
- Don’t leave children unattended in the bath.
- Cover all water storage containers.
- Keep children away from washing machines.
- Make sure garden gates and fencing are in order.
- Use self-closing and latching mechanisms on doors and gates that lead to water.
- Always keep an eye on children.
- Empty paddling pools, baths and buckets after use.
- Fence in private ponds and pools.
- Keep bath plugs out of the reach of children so they cannot fill the bath with water when you are not around.
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