Swimming and being around the water is a part of everyday life in Australia, but it does come with risks – particularly for kids. Drowning is a major cause of accidental death for Australian kids, and many of these deaths occur in backyard swimming pools. Melbourne Pools has put together this list of tips to help ensure the safety of children around the water.
Please note that these are just general guidelines – they are no substitute for a professional inspection and safety assessment.
1. Fence Your Pool
All Melbourne pools must be completely surrounded by a secure fence with a minimum height of 1.2m and a gap of 100mm or less at the bottom and/or between the panels. The fence should be kept clear of all climbable objects, such as eskies, pool pumps, chairs and pot plants. Any gates should a;sp be fitted with a child safety lock and must never be left propped open.
2. Supervise Your Kids
Children should be under active adult supervision at all times, and toddlers should always be within arm’s reach. No one should ever be left to swim alone – make sure you take your little ones with you if you leave the pool area, even for a minute.
3. Teach Your Kids to Swim
Kids should be taught to swim as soon as possible. Enrolling them in swimming lessons has the dual benefit of teaching them valuable swimming skills as well as important water safety information. This goes for grown-ups as well – it’s never too late to learn!
4. Learn How to Respond to Emergencies
Everyone in your home should know how to respond to an emergency by completing a resuscitation and/or first aid course. Keep your resuscitation skills updated annually so you don’t get rusty.
5. Be Safe Around the Pool
Establish and enforce important rules like ‘walk, don’t run’, ‘no diving’, and ‘no pushing others into the pool’. Designs for your pool area should also incorporate non-slip materials for any decking, diving boards or ladders.
Melbourne Pools specialises in the supply and installation of concrete and fibreglass swimming pools in Melbourne. Please contact us for more information on any of our services.