Christmas and New Year bring with them the season for backyard barbeques, pick-up cricket and cool-offs in the pool.
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It’s important to make sure that with plenty of people around, and the kids playing with their Christmas presents in and around the pool, correct safety measures are taken to make sure it’s a happy holiday period from start to finish.
Tanya Brunckhorst, the Hunter Regional Manager for Royal Life Saving NSW, urged families and holidayers to “remain vigilant around pools and water” and to make sure that “everyone’s holidays are happy, and fun”.
“It’s so important to keep supervision at the front of your mind, and to not take any uncecessary risks around pools and water,” Brunckhorst said. “Eye sight is so important, life jackets are important on bodies of water, and learning CPR is so crucial for families with pools.”
“A lot of the holiday problems come from drinking around water, so avoiding that is a wise idea. It’s also wise to not ever swim alone – even if you are a strong swimmer and confident in your ability, something can go wrong and you need someone to help you if it does.”
Brunckhorst was organising pool safety during the spread of drownings at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017, and said she hopes to never see numbers that high again.
“We had a lot of people drown, especially in February of this year,” she said. “There was a lot of different things that added to that, a lot of children drowned because of gates being propped open and supervision basically being absent.”
“It’s so important to make sure that people keep watch at all times, and be in arms reach of children under the age of 5 at all times. Drownings can happening very, very quickly and you constantly have to be ready.”
It is important to remember, Brunckhorst said, for every drowning death there are a many more non-fatal drownings which can cause serious ongoing health problems for children.
“Just because the stats show a lot of fatal drownings, it’s crucial to make sure that the non-fatal drowning numbers are decreased a lot at the end of this year as well,” she added. “We want to make sure that everyone is safe near the water all the way through summer and beyond.”
Prevent backyard pool drowning incidents by taking the following steps:
- Supervise: Actively watch children at all times. Do not leave children in the care of an older sibling, as children can be easily distracted.
- Remain within an arm’s reach at all times: This will ensure you are there to help in time if something goes wrong. If you need to leave the pool area for any reason, whether it is to answer the phone or the door or check on the oven, take the children with you.
- Restrict access: Use safety barriers such as pool fencing. Do not prop any doors or gates open that allow children access to the pool area. Create a safe play area for children away from the backyard pool.
- Check fence: Make sure it meets standards and that its catch is firm and secure.
- Prevent climbing: Remove hazards such as pot plants and chairs from pool fences to stop children climbing on to them and using them as a boost to scale the pool fence.
- Teach children water safety: Water familiarisation is valuable in teaching children to swim and understand how to be safe in and around the water.
- Learn to resuscitate: Do not be caught out. If you have a pool in your backyard, make sure you know what to do should the worst happen.
Isaac McIntyre
Got a story or a tip that you want to send through? Contact me at isaac.mcintyre@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Got a story or a tip that you want to send through? Contact me at isaac.mcintyre@fairfaxmedia.com.au
