Home water hazard audit

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Bathroom

• At bath time an adult stays within arm’s reach the whole time. Use “touch supervision.” If you must leave, take the child with you. The AAP says children should not bathe alone until they are at least 6, and a young sibling should never be the one watching.
• If you use a baby bath seat or ring, you still keep a hand on your baby. Bath seats can tip over, and babies can slip out of them. They are not safety devices.
• The tub is drained right after each bath, and the drain plug is out when it is not in use. Removing the plug stops the tub filling if a child turns on the faucet.
• The bathroom door stays closed with a safety latch or doorknob cover when no one is using it. Toddlers can topple headfirst into toilets and filled tubs. Keep them out unless an adult is with them.
• Toilet seat lids have latches or locks. Add a lid lock as a second layer behind the closed door.

Kitchen, laundry and cleaning

• Buckets and pails for cleaning, mopping or painting are emptied right after use. Never leave a filled, open-top container unattended. A large bucket is dangerous even partly full: it is heavy enough not to tip when a toddler pulls up on it.

Yard and outside

• Trash cans, recycling bins and other containers that collect rainwater are emptied. Empty any liquid in them whenever they are not in use.
• Small inflatable or kiddie pools are emptied and put away after each use. Portable pools are a real danger to young children. Empty and store them, or fence them, and tell caregivers and neighbors they are there.
• Bird baths, fountains and ponds are removed, secured or fenced off from your child. The AAP suggests holding off on these until your child is older.
• Wells, irrigation or drainage ditches and open post holes are blocked off. Cover or fence them, and watch for new holes while fences or decks are being built.

Doors and the way outside

• Doors to the outside and the garage have locks, safety gates or doorknob covers a toddler can’t open. Toddlers commonly slip away unnoticed during non-swim time. Block the way out.
• Doors that lead to the yard or a pool have an alarm, or your security system’s door chime is on. An alarm tells you the moment a door opens. The CPSC says pool-area door alarms should be loud and sound different from other household alarms.
• Everyone at home, including older children, knows to close the door behind them. Talk about it as a family rule so younger children can’t follow someone out.

Pool, inflatable pool or hot tub

Skip this part (choose “Doesn’t apply”) if you have none.

• The pool is fenced on all 4 sides, separating it from the house and the rest of the yard. A four-sided isolation fence cuts a child’s drowning risk by 83% compared with three-sided property-line fencing. Use the pool barrier check for the details.
• The gate closes and latches by itself, opens away from the pool, and stays locked. Check it often. The CPSC calls a gate that fails to close and latch completely the weak link in the strongest fence.
• Hot tubs and spas are covered and locked right after each use. Make it part of getting out, every time.
• Toys are kept out of the pool area when it is not swim time. Toys in sight tempt children to get through the fence.

Ready to respond

• When children are in or near water, one adult is the Water Watcher, with no phone or other distractions. The Water Watcher’s only job is watching. Take turns, handing a water watcher card to the next adult every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Everyone knows: if a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count. Check the bath, the pool and any nearby water before anywhere else.
• At least one adult at home has learned CPR. The AAP says parents, caregivers and older children should all learn CPR and safe rescue. Look for a Red Cross or American Heart Association class.
• When you visit or travel, you check for water hazards where you are staying. Water dangers at relatives’ homes, friends’ homes and vacation rentals matter just as much.