Water safety – around your home

We’ve all been having to spend more time at home, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change dramatically too soon. The temperatures are getting warmer so inevitably we’re spending more time in our gardens, with paddling pools, hot tubs and swimming pools in the mix.

Your home is considered one of the safest places you can be, but there are still elements of water safety that need to be considered. For example: did you know a baby can drown in as little as 2cm of water? Here are a few safety tips for around the home (indoors and outdoors) to keep you all safe and happy at home.

Bath time: Always supervise bath time (never leave children unattended). Empty the bath as soon as possible after use. Vulnerable adults and people who suffer from sudden seizures should consider using showers rather than baths

Keep watch: Never leave your child unattended around water (especially babies), and always watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted

Avoid temptation: Close toilet lids and use toilet seat locks to prevent drowning, keep doors to bathrooms and utility rooms closed. Always turn hosepipes off at the tap, so children cannot fill vessels themselves

Secure the area: Securely cover all hot tubs and home spas as soon as possible after use, and ensure water storage tanks and drains are covered too. Always install self-closing and self-latching gates, fences of at least four feet tall surrounding all sides of any pool, and locks to prevent children from gaining access to home pools or pools of water. Install secure fencing around garden ponds (at least four feet high) to act as a barrier or add mesh or a grill on top of the pond (strong enough to support a child’s weight without dropping below the surface of the pond water)

Leave it empty: Empty paddling pools, containers, buckets and watering cans, as soon as they have been used, and always turn paddling pools and containers upside down once empty, so they do not collect water

#CommunitySpirit #StaySafe #WaterSafety #JerseyLifeboats