FAMILYHEALTHWITHDRRANJMostsummerholidaysrevolvearoundthewaterâso,whatcanwedotomakesureourfamilyhavefunANDstaysafe?1swimmingclassesYoumightbesurprisedbythenumberofpeoplewhohavenâthadswimminglessonsthatventureintothewateronholiday.Notonlydolessonsgetyouusedtothewaterandteachyouhowtogetabout,buttheyalsoteachyouaboutsafety.Remember:oceanswimmingisdifferentfromswimminginapool,andextraattentiontosafetyisvitalhere.
2signsBeforegoingintoanybodyofwater,makesureyouhavereadnearbywarningsignsandknowwhattheymeanâespeciallyifyouandyourfamilyareswimminginriversortheocean.Thesewilladviseyouonpotentialdangersintermsofhowstronganywavesandcurrentsare,aswellasanydangerouswildlifethatmightbefoundinthearea.
STAYINGWELLIN THEWATER4sicknessAlthoughitâslesslikelyintreatedpools,watercanbeasourceofillness.Mostly,thisconcernsinfectionsfromswallowingaffectedwaterâsuchasnorovirus,GiardiaandCampylobacterâandresultsinabdominalsymptoms(e.g.vomitinganddiarrhoea).Aswellasrestandrehydration,somemayrequirespecialmedicaltreatment,sogetyourchildcheckediftheybecomeunwell.
3supervisionAnychildinthewaterneedssupervisionâbethatfromfamilyoraprofessional,suchasalifeguard.Thisisevenmoreimportantforsmallchildren,wholiketoexplore,andmayendupinthewaterwithoutyouknowing.Notewherethenearestlifeguardisandtrytostaynearby.Also,kidsmayliketodiveintothings,butthisshouldonlybedoneinknowndepthsâotherwise,alwaysgoinfeetfirst!
5skinTherearetwomainreasonsyoushouldpayextraattentiontoyourskininthewater.First,swimmingwashesoffsunblock,reducingitseffectiveness.Second,manypeopledonâtrealisewaterreflectsthesun,andthatincreasesexposureofanypartsofthebodyabovethewatertoUVradiation.So,reapplysunblockregularlyandtrytousecreamwithanSPFofatleast 30 andbothUVAandUVBprotection.n
29LDONâTFORGETTHE5SâsTOBESAFEINTHEWATERremember:firstaidsaveslivesItâsextremelyimportantthatparentsknowwhattodoiflittleonesgetintotroubleinthewater.Remember,childrenwillNOTnecessarilyshoutorwaveiftheyrunintoproblems,anditdoesnâttakealotofwaterortimetodrown.SoitâsessentialtobeawareofbasicfirstaidandknowhowtogiveCPR,justincaseofarareemergency.``````CBEEBIESâDRRANJSINGHISANH NSDOCTOR``````lSHOUTFORHELP!lCHECKFORSIGNSOFLIFEANDBREATHINGlGIVE5RESCUEBREATHSlCHECKAGAINFORSIGNSOFLIFElSTARTCHESTCOMPRESSIONSâGIVE 30 COMPRESSIONSTHEN2BREATHSlREPEATANDALTERNATE 30 COMPRESSIONSTHEN2BREATHSâUNTILTHECHILDRECOVERSORHELPARRIVES``````StJohnAmbulan``````cerunscourses``````forthe
publicandhasreally``````usefulin``````formatio``````n``````(including``````demovideos)``````onitswebsit``````e:sja.org.uk``````SPLASHINGISSMASHINGThereâstonsofsafefuntobefoundinthewateronholiday
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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