SUPERVISION

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There Is No Substitute for Active Supervision! Actively supervise children in and  around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention. When there are several adults present and children are swimming, use the Water Watcher card strategy, which designates an adult as the Water Watcher for a certain amount of time (such as 15.-minute periods) to  prevent lapses in supervision. 

Teach children NEVER SWIM ALONE and that they MUST have an adult with them near a pool/canal/lake. 

Drowning prevention experts agree that supervision is an important layer of protection. Supervision is the first and last line of defense in drowning prevention. Unfortunately, supervision can NEVER be relied on alone to be effective in preventing drowning. Approximately 75% of all drowning deaths to children ages 1‐4, there was an adult providing supervision at the time.

Pools and spas are designed for enjoyment – safe enjoyment. Unfortunately, drownings still occur even when adults are present at the poolside. When swimming is intended recommendations for supervision is quite different. All the Layers of Protection designed to limit access (fences, gates, alarms, covers, etc…) are no longer helpful in reducing the risk of drowning. Supervision at the poolside must be diligent and attentive. The NDPA and CPSC recommend using a Water Watcher: a responsible adult who knows how to swim and who knows CPR. The Water Watcher’s job is to do nothing but watch the water and should be changed every 30 minutes. Always enforce the “buddy system” for children and adults when swimming: never let anyone swim alone – even for a minute.

Use these Layers of Protection as back‐up to Supervision While Swimming:

• Swim Lessons for everyone over the age of 1 year
• CPR Certification for all supervising adults
• Use US Coast Guard approved life‐jackets for all poor swimmers
• Use “Touch supervision” for all infants, toddlers or poor swimmers (one adult to one child)
• The Water Watcher should remove all children from the pool area if he needs to leave
• Never leave young children in the pool are under the supervision of older children
• If a child should be missing, the pool area should be checked immediately. Precious seconds of lost time can make a difference in rescue and recovery.