Summer is a time when water safety becomes a top priority
News coverage is wide spread about swimming pool safety, water quality with our beaches and sun care. The Pinellas County Department of Health shared the following web links for references on the water quality of public pools, public water parks, and local beaches.
http://pinellas.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/index.html
The Pinellas County Department of Health (2017) recommends following these simple steps for a healthy and safe swim experience:
- Use a high SPF sunscreen to protect yourself and your family from harmful UV rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer and reapply after swimming
- Wear insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites and the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses
- Shower with soap before you get in the water
- Limit the amount of fresh water going up your nose when swimming can help prevent the infection from the ameba Naegleria fowleri. The amoeba that causes the rare infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is often fatal.
- Don't swallow the water you swim in
- Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea, don’t swim until you are diarrhea-free for two weeks
- Parents should take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes
- Avoid contact with algae blooms
- Wash your hands after visiting the bathroom or changing diapers
- Visit your local hardware or pool-supply store and purchase pool test strips to check the chlorine and pH levels before getting into the water.
Parents should also be aware that the use of swim diapers and swim pants doesn’t necessarily keep fecal bacteria out of the water, and some germs can survive days even in properly chlorinated pools.
Swimming safety is another area of safety for those in the heat of summer. Knowing about water safety and how to prevent drownings is important for all Floridian’s, including how to prevent drowning, barriers that are available, safe swimming, swimming lessons and supervision. The following web sites help to guide residents to swim lessons located through out the county.
R. Riles, A. Baid
July 10, 2017
