Water safety – make sure your child doesn’t become one of the sad statistics of children who have accidents in water and drown

Drowning is the third most common cause of death in the under 16 age group. Some 50 children drown in the UK every year For obvious reasons, the number of accidents involving water always rises during hot weather and Roger Vincent of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urges parents who live near open water to discourage children from playing there.   “There are so many dangers. Children overestimate their swimming capabilities,” he warns. “The water remains cold even during hot weather and there are the hazards of current, weeds and deep holes which can drag them down. "Children should go to a properly supervised area where they have to wear life jackets.” Children should be taught to swim – currently 200,000 children leave primary school without the basic skills needed to survive in water.

Beside the sea
For seaside holidays to be fun for everyone, parents should:

• Know where the life guard (if there is one) operates from.
• Check tide tables. Some tides come in so quickly a child can be out of his depth, and further out from the shore than he can cope with.
• Tell children to swim parallel to the shore, so that they won’t get out of their depth.
• Point out landmarks to swim between so they keep within your vision - and don’t get lost on the beach.
• Follow the flag system - see below.
• Not allow inflatables in the sea unless there is a designated area which is supervised or you can oversee.
• Remember sun protection - you can burn while in the water.
• Not  allow swimming for one hour after eating a meal.
  

Flag warning system
This is the new flag system which has been agreed throughout the UK - images curtesy of RoSPA.

Red and yellow – lifeguards are on patrol and you should swim in the area between the flags.	Red – when this flag is flying it is dangerous to swim and you should not go into the water.	Black and white – this indicates that the area has been designated for use by surf and Malibu boards and it is not safe for swimmers and bathers.

Swimming pools
Pools in the UK are usually supervised and children should be made aware of all the regulations like no running, ducking, dive-bombing. Generally children have to be over eight years old before they are allowed to swim on their own.

Abroad or in hotel swimming pools you should check the depth of the pool (this isn’t always marked). You may also want to make sure that the pool is properly maintained.
     
Babies lose body heat very quickly so the water temperature should be at least 29°C, 28°C for three-year-olds, as recommended by the Amateur Swimming Association. The temperature outside should be a degree or so warmer.

Paddling pools
Children, especially the under-fives, should be supervised at all times. They can drown in a few inches of water.

Typically, accidents happen when a parent just pops into the house for a towel or to answer the phone or a doorbell.

Never leave your child or children - wrap them in towels and take them with you.

Pools should always be emptied and deflated (or hung up somewhere out of reach) overnight in case children go into the garden on their own the next morning.