By: Jana L. Davidson, Education Content Specialist for the Progressive Agriculture Foundation
As we officially reach the end of the school year, the excitement of summer is in the air! From June through September, fun family gatherings bring together children for various activities including camping, cookouts and of course swimming. When the weather gets hot, the perfect place to cool off is a pool, lake or stream.
Unfortunately, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among 1- to 4-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Many of these drowning deaths and water-related injuries are highest in the warm weather months. On average, 4,900 children ages 15 years and under are treated for water-related injuries in hospital’s emergency departments each year.
This time of year is the perfect time to talk with your children about water safety and establish rules for their personal safety in or around water. Here are some tips for your family to keep cool in the pool this summer:
- Actively supervise children whenever around water. Stay within an arm’s reach of young children while in the water and avoid distractions.
- Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim.
- Never swim alone – always have a buddy!
- Use properly-fitted personal flotation devices. Always wear life vests when boating.
- Obey signs about rules and potential dangers.
- Enter the water feet first (one foot at a time) and never dive into shallow water.
- Ensure farm ponds are fenced and barriers are in place around home pools or hot tubs.
- Have rescue equipment by the water. If you have a friend out in the water – remember to Reach, Throw, Don’t Go into the water, but Go for Help!
Last year, water safety was a lesson offered at 40 percent of Progressive Agriculture Safety Days® that took place throughout North America. Hands-on activities designed to reinforce water safety is taught using verbal, visual and hands-on learning opportunities.
These safety tips are examples of what children and families learn when they attend a Safety Day. To date, more than 1.4 million children and adults have been impacted by a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® in their local community.
A Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® is currently being planned for Clearfield County on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15 at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds for second grade students in Clearfield, Curwensville, Moshannon Valley and West Branch School Districts. Learn more about the program at www.progressiveag.org
This safety message was brought to you by Clearfield County Safe Kids. The Clearfield County Safe Kids coalition is part of Safe Kids Worldwide (http://www.safekids.org/), a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, the number one killer of kids in the United States.
For more information, please contact Judy Patterson, Nutrition-Safety Advisor for Cenclear, at 814-342-5678 Ext. 2264. The coalition always welcomes new members and traditionally meets the last Tuesday each month at noon at Cen-clear Child Services, 60 Industrial Park Rd., Clearfield, PA 16830.
For June, we will be meeting one week earlier on Tuesday, June 21. Donations to our local Clearfield County Safe Kids Coalition are tax-deductible and can help ensure the word about safe practices can be spread all year long.
Clearfield County Safe Kids is a co-sponsor of Clearfield County’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® held each September, Cen-Clear’s Safety Expo held each October, and various other safety events throughout the county.