Water Safety

What are the Water Safety measures

Knowing how to be safe in and around water makes many enjoyable activities not only fun but also safe. Adults and children are at risk for drowning when swimming or doing activities near water. Accidents or injuries that commonly happen in or around water include:

• Death from drowning. This often happens in water that has strong a strong current, like an ocean or river.
• Head and neck injuries from diving into shallow water.
• A dangerous drop in body temperature (hypothermia) due to cold water. Hypothermia can lead to confusion, difficulty breathing, and heart failure.
• Bites or stings from plants or animals, such as nettle and jellyfish.
• Injuries from boating accidents.
• Dehydration.
• Sunburn.

Water safety is important for preventing accidents and injuries whenever you are swimming, boating, or spending time near water. Many water-related accidents can be prevented when you know how to stay safe and you follow a few precautions.

What actions can I take to prevent accidents around water?

Life jackets

• Always wear a life jacket every time you go boating. Do this no matter what distance you will be traveling, how big your boat is, or how well the people aboard can swim.
• Use a life jacket that is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Do notuse air-filled or foam toys instead of a life jacket. These include water wings, foam noodles, and inner tubes. They are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

Swimming safety

• Do notswim alone. Neverleave children alone near water.
• Choose swimming sites that have lifeguards on duty whenever possible.
• Take swimming lessons if you do not know how to swim. Make sure children know how to swim.
• Do notdrink alcohol or use drugs before or during swimming or boating.
• Do notdive into water unless it is marked as safe for diving.
• Make sure your skills match the type of water where you will be swimming.
  • Swimming in the ocean is harder than swimming in a pool.
  • If you swim away from land, make sure you have enough energy to swim back to land.
  • Know what to do in a very strong current (riptide or rip current).
• Do not swim in fast-moving bodies of water, such as river rapids.
• Do notswim closer than 100 feet (30 meters) to piers or jetties.
• If someone is struggling in the water:
  • Call a lifeguard.
  • Throw a flotation device to the person, if possible. Flotation devices include life jackets and ring buoys.
  • Call emergency services (911 in the U.S.)if no lifeguard or flotation device is available.

Weather and water conditions

• Check weather conditions before you go swimming or boating. Do notgo swimming or boating when weather conditions may be dangerous, such as during thunderstorms or when there are strong winds.
• Follow all warning signs that are posted near the water. If you are at a beach and there is a colored warning flag, make sure you understand what it means.
• Watch out for dangerous riptides in the ocean. These may look like discolored, choppy, or foamy water, and there may be old or broken items (debris) floating nearby. Riptides are most common near sandbars, jetties, and piers.
• If you are caught in a rip current, do notswim toward shore. Swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the current, then swim to shore. If you cannot get out of a sandbar, shout and wave to get the attention of someone on shore.

General tips

• Take a water safety course that includes CPR instruction.
• Always have a cell phone, first aid kit, and devices for reaching and throwing (such as ropes, ring buoys, or poles) when you go out on the water.
• Put a fence around home pools. Keep some reaching and throwing devices near the pool, and have a first aid kit nearby.
• Drink water frequently, even if you are not thirsty. Sun and salt water (as in oceans) can be dehydrating.

Use a water-resistant sunscreen, and follow directions about when to reapply it. Sunburn can be worse in or near water.

Where to find more information

• American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
• National Safety Council: www.nsc.org

Contact a health care provider if:

• You get a severe sunburn. Along with red skin, pain, and blisters, a severe sunburn can cause:
  • Headache.
  • Fever.
  • Nausea.
  • Dizziness.
  • Fatigue.

Get help right away if:

• Someone is struggling in the water.
• Someone is pulled from the water and is unconscious or not breathing.
• You have a severe reaction after being in the water or after being bitten or stung by a plant or animal, such as:
  • Swelling of the tongue or throat.
  • Difficulty breathing.
• You or someone else is shivering due to cold water and is clumsy and confused.
• You have chest pain.
• You have difficulty breathing.

These situations or symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the situation gets better or the symptom goes away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Summary

• Knowing how to be safe in and around water makes many enjoyable activities not only fun but also safe. Adults and children are at risk for drowning when swimming or doing activities near water.
• Always wear a life jacket every time you go boating. Use life jackets that are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Check weather conditions before you go swimming or boating. Do not go swimming or boating when weather conditions may be dangerous, such as during thunderstorms or when there are strong winds.

Water Safety for Feeding Tubes

People with a feeding tube need water:

• To supply moisture to the body (stay hydrated).
• To clear the tube before and after giving medicines.
• To prepare powdered formula.
• To mix medicines.

It is important to know what types of water are safest to use and when each type of water should be used. People with a feeding tube may be more sensitive to germs and chemicals (contaminants) in water than healthy people are. Talk to your health care team if you have concerns about access to safe water for feeding tube use.

Types of water

Sterile water

This type of water has been cleaned (purified) to remove any contaminants. It is sold in bottles at pharmacies and grocery stores.

Purified water

This type of water is treated using one or more methods, such as distilling, filtering, or using ultraviolet (UV) light. It is sold in bottles at most stores and has the word “purified” on the label. You can also purify water at home by boiling non-purified bottled water or water from the tap.

Drinking water

This type of water includes any water that is safe for typical drinking and food preparation uses. This water includes regular bottled water and water from the tap.

Source water

This type of water includes freshwater in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, or streams. It also includes groundwater (aquifers). Do not use source water with a feeding tube.

What type of water should I use?

• If you need to give water through a feeding tube to keep urine pale yellow (stay hydrated), you may use:
  • Sterile water.
  • Purified water.
  • Drinking water.
• If you need to rinse out (flush) the feeding tube before and after giving medicines, you may use:
  • Sterile water.
  • Purified water.
• If you need to mix powdered formula for a feeding, you may use:
  • Sterile water. If possible, use only sterile water when preparing formula.
  • Purified water.
• If you need water to make medicines thinner (dilutethem) to give them through a feeding tube, you may use:
  • Sterile water.
  • Purified water.

Follow these instructions at home:

• If you have a weak disease-fighting (immune) system and have difficulty fighting against infections (are immunocompromised), use only sterile water with your feeding tube.
• If you are unsure about the amount of contaminants in purified water or drinking water, use sterile water.
• Do not use freshwater found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or aquifers unless you have treated or filtered it first.

To purify drinking water by boiling:

• Boil water for 1 minute or longer. Keep a lid over the water while it boils.
• Let the water cool to room temperature before you use it.

Summary

• If you have concerns about your water quality or if you are unable to access safe water for feeding tube use, let your health care team know.