Household safety and supervision
All kids should grow up in a home environment that is safe and comfortable. Alongside all the love and emotional support you offer, you’ll be looking after a child or young person’s physical health and security too.
Safety around pools and water
Keep a close eye on children around pools, beaches, rivers and other water areas. Know where they are, even when you're visiting family and friends, and don’t rely on older children to supervise. Supervision means keeping close, watching them, reminding them about dangers (sometimes repeatedly) and knowing their swimming abilities and their limits. Remember that drowning can occur quickly and quietly, without any warning noises. According to Kidsafe, an average of one child a week dies from a preventable drowning in Australia.
Safety around the pool
- Always supervise children in the pool, even if they know how to swim.
- If the child is under five, then an adult should be in the pool with them, within arm’s reach.
- Regularly check your pool fence and self-closing gate to make sure they are in good working order. The Royal Lifesaving Society has a handy Home Pool Safety Checklist
- Be aware that competitive and repetitive breath-holding under water can lead to brain damage or death; this is called ‘hypoxic blackout’.
- Understand that flotation devices are not lifesaving devices.
- Make sure nothing is stacked against the fence that a child could use to climb over.
- Learn resuscitation or take a refresher course; put up a resuscitation chart in the pool area.
Carers with swimming pools
As an authorised carer, you must register your pool and have a valid pool compliance certificate. Pool fencing and gates must meet the Building Code of Australia Standard 1926.1, including having a self-closing gate.
Around water
- Familiarise kids with water and teach them to swim.
- Always know where your child is. Make sure that any doors or gates that provide access to areas where there are water tanks, drains, fountains, ponds or pools are kept locked. Remember that small children can also drown in unexpected places like baths and spas.
- Don’t leave water in eskies, buckets or wading pools; small children can drown in just a few centimetres of water.
- If you live on a property with a dam, make sure that your yard is securely fenced.
- Do not leave older children in charge of younger children.