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Water Safety at Home
Water in and around your home can be very dangerous for young children. They can drown in only an inch or two of water. Hot water can burn a child in seconds. You need to watch your children very carefully when they are in or near water.
Keep Children Safe from Drowning: In the Bathroom
- Always stay close enough to touch your child when he or she is in or near the bathtub, toilet, pools, spas or buckets. Watch them every second.
- Only grownups should be in charge during bath time.
- Do not leave young children in the tub alone with older children.
- Baby bath seats are not a safety device. They should never take the place of an adult.
- Drain the bathtub as soon as bath time is over.
- Keep bathroom doors closed. Use an outside lock or a door knob cover to keep young children out of the bathrooms when you are not with them.
- Use toilet seat locks and keep toilet lids shut.
- Empty all buckets when you are done using them Store them upside down. Store large buckets where children cannot touch them.
Keep Children Safe from Drowning: In or near the Pool
- Put a fence all the way around your pool or spa. The fencing should be at least five feet high and a self-closing and self-latching gate. Always keep the gate closed and locked.
- Always stay close enough to touch your child when he or she is in or near the pool.
- Make your child wear a Coast Guard approved life vest if they are not very good swimmers.
- No child or adult should swim alone.
- Pool drains are dangerous. They can trap a child under water. Cover your drain with a safety guard (you can get them at a pool supply store). Teach your children to stay away from the drain and filters. Teach them never to sit on a pool drain.
- If you have a wading pool, empty it every time. Store it upside down so that rain does not collect in it.
Keep Children Safe from Hot Water Burns:
In the Home
- Hot water burns like fire. Use a thermometer to test the water coming out of your tap. It should not be hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent burns.
In the Bath
- When bathing children, always stay close enough to touch them.
- Turn the cold water on first and then add warm water.
- Use a thermometer to test how hot it is. The water should be 100 degrees F or less.
- Before children get in the tub, run your hand all through the water to test for hot spots.
*
- Babies and children have thin skin that burns easily. Install special tub spouts and shower head that prevent hot water burns.
- Do not store electrical appliances such as blow dryers and radios near sinks and tubs. Keep these out of children’s reach at all times.
* Photo Courtesy of Jo Deluca Photography
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