All safety Rules For Children_Universal lifeguard certifcation

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1,400 children between the ages of 5 and 14 die each year from drowning . Furthermore, drowning in childhood is one of the leading causes of accidental mortality.

The decalogue of water safety

The data speak for themselves, but science also urges you to take the right precautions when you are in the water with the little ones.

1. Know how to swim. The main danger on beaches and swimming pools is drowning, so the best prevention is knowing how to swim. For this reason, children must learn to do it from the age of three, but with the guidance of specialized teachers, preferably in the sea, because they must learn not to be afraid of splashes, deep water, and know how to swim underwater with eyes open. Children who cannot swim yet must always enter the water with their armrests on.
2. Never children alone in the water. All children under the age of 12 , including those who already know how to swim, must always be accompanied in the water by an adult who knows how to swim well, possibly always staying close to them.
3. Make sure that rescue services are present. The presence of the rescue service is fundamental, which must never be interrupted, equipped with turrets, guaranteed by professional lifeguards, with uniforms to facilitate identification.
4. Always be aware of dangers. It is advisable to swim following the bathing ordinances of the mayors and avoid areas where water sports, fishing, competitions are practiced. It is also necessary to respect the paths, indicated by ropes and buoys, which delimit the entry ways into the water for boats or surfboards. Finally, it is better to look at the rescue flags: if the yellow or red is hoisted, do not swim. Always wear flip flops when using showers, toilets or walking on paved areas.
5. Enter the water slowly , to adapt the body to the temperature of the sea, especially after eating or when the water is cold. Avoid diving into the sea or swimming pool without knowing the depth of the water, to avoid trauma and injury.
6. Protect the skin from the sun with protective creams and lotions (preferably to sprays) containing chemical and physical filters, to be applied every two hours, to avoid skin irritation. The hat is an extra protection and in case of solar erythema (burn) also wear a white cotton shirt.
7. Beware of exposure between 12 and 17 , especially if the child is under four years old. Those who stay on the beach during this time slot must make the child drink frequently, preferably every 20 minutes, and keep him in the shade.
8. Never park in the sun by car. When traveling by car with a child, never stop in the sun, not even for short stops, but always look for a shady parking space.
9. Choose clean seas with clear waters. Clear water is a form of accident prevention because it allows you to identify submerged obstacles. Cleanliness on the beach is also demonstrated by the presence of baskets and garbage cans that must never be full, but emptied quickly and by the absence in the sand of broken shells, glass, can residues, abandoned rubbish, tar, algae not collected in the shoreline or in the sand. There must be no environmental degradation.
10.  Involve children in training courses. During the month of April and May, it is useful for elementary and middle school students (primary and secondary) to participate in free health education courses on the potential risks of the sea and on correct behavior in the marine environment.

ALSO READ ABOUT SWIMMING: What to pay attention to before and after swimming

Other behaviors to adopt when in the water with children

There are also other simple precautions to follow, which can come in handy at the right time and which will allow you to be safer when your child is in the water. Here's what they are:

1. Every child has his own time. It is necessary to stimulate the child's aquatic skills while always respecting his learning times. Communication, play and prudence are the basis of everything.
2. Teaching water breathing. It should be remembered that the confidence of the water on the face must be stimulated with specific procedures and that correct breathing in water is the true ABC of the aquatic environment.
3. Playing with the little ones. In the water with children you need to play, have fun, but always evaluate your and their swimming skills. Furthermore, bathing bans must always be respected.
4. By boat or dinghy it is necessary to read the rules. Always remember to wear and have children wear a life jacket. If you see a buoy with a flag, you must stay at least 100 m away, it means that there is a diver diving.
5. Beware of freediving . Freediving is dangerous even in one meter of water! It's fine to let children admire the seabed, but when they first need to breathe, tell them to resurface. In freediving always use the buddy system: one on the surface and the other dives. And always use the diving ball!
6. Check the armrests, but do not remove them. Better not to remove the armrests or an armrest to see if the children float. Better to deflate the armrests gradually and check their dynamism and the buoyancy of the little ones.
7. Beware of lakes and rivers. Most of the lakes and rivers are not suitable for swimming: in murky and unsupervised waters it is better to avoid bathing, even if you are an expert swimmer. Every action generates a consequence: it is necessary not to behave excessively and to be a prudent parent.
8. Beware of diving. Be very careful where you dive! The bottom must be free and the depth must be suitable to avoid accidents. Furthermore, it is necessary to respect the marine aquatic environment: look and do not touch. Some species can be dangerous!
9. Never lose sight of the little ones. Always keep children in sight in swimming pools, water parks and stretches of sea, even if they are supervised by lifeguard course near me. Keep them in sight even when they have armrests or other buoyancy aids on!
10. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation . Cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be learned. All parents and caregivers should be familiar with resuscitation techniques.
11. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol should not be drunk in the water, while swimming or while supervising swimming children.
12. Wear a life jacket. Children and adults should wear personal life jackets whenever boating or fishing.