Memorial Day Weekend will be here before we know it. As such, we’re just about to enter prime swimming season! Whether you are heading to the local pool, beach or planning to take the boat out for your maiden voyage this summer, you should be sure you are familiar with the basics of water safety!
Three Crucial Water Safety Tips
Never Swim Alone
You should be sure to never swim alone or allow your children to do so. When there is no lifeguard present, that means always keeping watch over them. Even when a lifeguard is on duty, you should still keep a close eye on your group. Lifeguards simply can’t constantly watch everyone and detect every incident, especially on the most crowded days of summer. When it comes to drowning incidents, every second counts for making the save in time, so be sure to keep a close look out!
Reach or Throw, Don’t Go
If a swimmer is struggling to stay afloat in water too deep to stand in, you should be cautious about jumping in to save them, even though it may be your first instinct. In many cases, both the rescuer and the original victim end up drowning because of such efforts. To keep everyone safe, try to reach the swimmer by any means necessary (your arm, a pool toy or anything sturdy enough for them to grab hold of). If they are too far to reach, your next effort should be to throw a floatation device out to them (life preserver, floatie). Even a cooler could work in a proper emergency (be careful throwing this one).
Learn CPR
If ever you witness someone drowning, we’d hope that the reach or throw method is enough to bring them to safety. That’s not always the case, however. If you arrive to the scene and can’t detect any signs of breathing, CPR will be your next option to rescue them. We always harp on the fact that accidents can, and will, occur outside of the workplace. Water related emergencies are a prime example of that, especially considering unintentional injuries (including drowning) are the number one cause of death among children in the United States.
Keep Safe this Summer with Training from Heart to Beat
Heart to Beat offers comprehensive safety programs to protect you and your employees from the risks and emergencies in both your professional and personal lives. If you’re interested in discovering our team can help you, contact us today at info@hearttobeatllc.com!
