PROJECTS ONLINE: CHILD SAFETY--PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM DROWNING
Project Difficulty:
Moderate
A child can drown in just inches of liquid. Whether it is a bucket catching drips from a leaky roof, a fish tank, or a diaper pail with liquid in the bottom, anything that holds liquid poses a drowning danger.
1.
Safety Tips
Keep in mind the following areas that may be threatening:
* Open, liquid-filled buckets, especially the five-gallon straight-sided type. These can be lethal to a curious child who bends over to take a look or touch what is inside (Fig. 1). Because the upper body weight keeps the bucket from tipping over, the child cannot get free after falling in. The little one can literally drown in one minute.
* This danger also applies to the toilet. You might want to consider installing an effective toilet lid lock to keep children out.
* Swimming pools and hot tubs should also have covers, alarms, and proper lighting. Always surround these items with a fence and a locked gate.
* Always supervise a child in the tub; bathtub aids can be helpful, but do not guarantee safety.
