The festive season is a joyous one for all and filled with festivities, parties, family gatherings and lots of other exciting activities.
Enjoying a day out by the pool and other open water sources is standard during the warmer days.
If you want to enjoy swimming to its fullest, you need to know some basic safety tips.
Negligence near pools, lakes, dams and different beachfronts along the coast can lead to serious accidents and in some extreme cases, death.
“Several lives have been lost already and near-drowning incidents reported as a result of water-related accidents in different areas across the metro,” said William Ntladi, district manager media liaison for Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS).
“Most of the people affected have been young male children.”
If you have a swimming pool at your home, you need to be extra cautious and vigilant to ensure everyone`s safety.
Follow these basic swimming pool safety tips:
- Fencing around the swimming pool is a necessity. Most people shy away from having a gated and fenced-off swimming pool because it is not aesthetically pleasing. However, this will help keep small children away from the pool.
- A pool cover in conjunction with the gate and fencing around the pool will add to the safety aspect. A pool cover will assist in preventing someone from going under the water should they fall into the pool.
- Never let your child or anyone else swim alone. Having two people in the pool at the same time will provide added safety measures. They will be able to keep an eye on one another and, if anything should happen, help could be called promptly.
- An adult who knows how to swim should be around the pool at all times in case of unexpected eventualities.
- Safety inflatable rubber or plastic devices should be readily available and in easy reach so they can be thrown to a victim in trouble.
- Teach your children to swim and if possible provide them with armbands, noodles and kicker boards if they are not fully skilled in swimming.
It is still the parent`s responsibility to look after the safety of their children.
Having basic first-aid training behind your name will provide an extra bit of security.
If a major emergency happens, you will be able to conduct basic CPR before the arrival of the paramedics.
“This could mean the difference between life and death in some circumstances,” said Ntladi.
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ER24 safety tips for flash floods
DEMS issues safety tips for rainy days
