The Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) urges parents to be wary of their children’s whereabouts and activities this spring break.
This comes as a heatwave sweeps through the region which may lead to cases of heat exhaustion or even worse, heat stroke.
“In these weather conditions, people are advised to stay indoors if possible, keep cool by taking in lots of fluids and wearing light clothing,” said William Ntladi, spokesman for the Ekurhuleni Emergency Services.
“Parents are especially advised to keep an eye on their children and ensure that they are protected from the sun by wearing hats and applying sunscreen.”
Those who tackle the heat by taking a dip in the pool are also advised to take precautions.
“In terms of water safety, nothing beats adult supervision,” emphasised Ntladi.
Those utilising public swimming pools should be mindful of the rules at the facility and listen to the instructions of officials on duty at all times.
Those who are weaker swimmers are also advised to remain in the shallow-end.
One should test that the depth of the pool is adequate for diving or jumping.
The hot, dry and windy weather also presents a threat of veld fires, therefore, residents are discouraged from discarding hot cigarette ends out in the open, making fires around dry grass and leaving open flames unmonitored.
Below are more tips on how to survive the heat wave:
- Avoid direct sunlight by wearing a hat and use sunscreen.
- Don’t leave children or pets in parked, locked vehicles.
- Stay in the shade/under shaded trees.
- Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration.
- Take frequent breaks if you are working outdoors.
- Avoid strenuous activities.
- Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated or carbonated drinks.
- Wear light, bright coloured clothes.
Parents should follow these pool safety guidelines to keep their children safe:
- Install a four-sided fence around your swimming-pool.
- The fencing around the swimming pool must be high enough to keep children from climbing over it and it must have a self-closing or self-latching gate that is above the reach of children.
- Around the swimming pool, there should not be any items nearby that would allow children to climb up over the fence to access the pool.
- Other children in the neighbourhood should not have access into the yard as this will lure them to jump over the boundary fence into the premises to access the swimming pool.
- Pool covers, door alarms, and pool alarms work well in conjunction with fences but they are not a substitute for a fence.
- Swimming pools should be covered with a pool-net at all times when not in use.
- Keep toys away the swimming pool and its surrounds when not being used.
- Air filled or floating devices are not a substitution to life jackets. They are not meant to be used as safety devices.
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