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Drowning is a major cause of death for children.

The surest way to prevent children drowning is to supervise them at all times when they are in or near the water.

Child drownings can best be prevented by following the three Steps to Home Safety:

• Step One: Spot The Hazard
• Step Two: Assess the Risk
• Step Three: Make Changes Quickly

Step One: Spot the Hazard

In looking for hazards which could lead to the drowning of a child follow the basic strategy for spotting hazards:

• Look for the accident about to happen; identify all water hazards in the house.
• Don't ignore anything that may seem even slightly dangerous.
• Whenever a child is near water, ask yourself, "Is there a safer way?"
• Could anything that contains water cause a child to drown?
• Are you or others behaving in a way that could lead to a child drowning?

Think about the following objects that could lead to a drowning in your home:

• Pools and spas
• Water on pool covers
• Wading pools
• Baths
• Buckets of water
• Toilets
• Rivers or dams
• Outdoor ponds

Step Two: Assess the Risk

Whenever you Spot a Hazard - STOP AND THINK - ask yourself:

• Can I get rid of the hazard, or use something safer?
• Can I make it safe by repairing, modifying or isolating it?
• Can I make sure people, especially children, are aware of the problem, and are given clear rules on how to avoid being harmed?
• Can I provide quality supervision of children to ensure there is no risk of drowning?

Think about the following strategies for dealing with water hazards for children:

• Always watch children near water - ALWAYS.

BEWARE OF DEADLY DISTRACTIONS:   Telephone calls, either incoming or outgoing Doorbells Something cooking, overheating, etc. The laundry you have to remove, etc. Another child making a mess, crying, falling, etc. Other children fighting, running, etc. The other child's diaper you go to change. The other child you have to give a bottle to. The other child you are feeding. The pet that causes a mess, runs around, gets in a fight or wants to go out or come in.

• Take the child with you if you answer the phone at bath time.
• Buckets and pails should have a firm lid and be stored up high.
• Indoor spas should have a lockable door and be emptied immediately after use. Outdoor spas should be fenced the same as swimming pools.
• Empty wading pools immediately after use.
• With empty wading pools, wheelbarrows, pails, etc., turn them over or stand them up so rainwater can't collect in them.
• Don't allow any water to stand on a pool cover.  A person will slide into the center and the water will pool, quickly reaching 7-10 inches in depth.  Algae quickly grows on a wet cover, making it extremely slick.
• Even an adult can get caught under a pool cover, become disoriented and drown.
• Cover post holes or trenches during building.
• Cover outdoor ponds with a fixed grill.
• After heavy rain, check your yard and empty any rain that collects in containers.
• Remember that flotation aids are not lifesaving devices. Stay with your child when swimming in the pool.
• Learn how to give resuscitation or take a refresher course. In an emergency, take the child to the phone and call the ambulance. Directions will be given to you over the phone.
• When visiting, ask about any drowning hazards. Many children have drowned at friends' homes because their parents didn't know there was a pool, spa or pond on the property.
   

REMEMBER: Telling people about a hazard is not sufficient on its own. Somebody must take responsibility to reduce or eliminate it. If nothing else is going to work, you might have to get rid of the hazardous item altogether.

Step Three - Make the Changes Quickly

Once you have spotted a water safety hazard and decided the best way to deal with it . . . DON'T DELAY !

Make the changes as soon as possible before somebody does get harmed. Children can be drowned in water hazards that have been around for a long time.

If you ignore a hazard long enough, it may seem to go away. In reality, it becomes even more dangerous because people forget it's there.

People, and especially children, are not safe until they are separated from the hazard. You will feel safer, others in the house will be more relaxed, and children will play more safely when hazards have been isolated or removed.

This child safety information is based on Kidsafe Australia materials.

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