Simple ways you can prevent a pool tragedy
Now is the time to check your pool is safe, educate your family about the importance of water safety and keep the pool gate firmly shut.
The weather is getting warmer and the days are growing longer, summer is just around the corner.
Now is the perfect time to check your pool is safe and educate your family on the importance of water safety, including keeping the pool gate firmly shut.
Between 2018 and 2023, private pools were the most common location for child drownings and drownings were the leading cause of death for children aged one to four.
That is why Sunshine Coast Council is pleading with pool owners to take the simple but vital steps to prevent a tragedy this summer or risk receiving a $23,000 fine.
Service Excellence Portfolio Councillor Christian Dickson said it was part of Council’s role to regulate and educate the community about swimming pool safety.
”It’s imperative that pool owners conduct regular checks to ensure their swimming pool fences and gates are safe and compliant,” Cr Dickson said.
“Fencing and gates become faulty with wear and tear, so I encourage every pool owner to follow Council’s free pool safety checklist regularly to ensure they are providing a safe environment for their families, tenants and visitors.
“Some people deliberately prop pool gates open for convenience, and sadly this was a factor in more than 25 per cent of early childhood drownings recorded in Queensland over the past 10 years.
“Please take time to educate your family, your kids, the grandparents and even visitors to your home about the importance of shutting the gate, and keeping it closed.
“You may think it will never happen to you, until the unthinkable happens. Please don’t become the next statistic.”
The Queensland pool safety standard regulates the location, height and strength of barriers, non-climbable zones, gate latching requirements and prohibits direct access from a building into a pool area.
The standard applies to excavations or structures capable of being filled with water to a depth of 300mm and intended for swimming, wading, bathing and paddling, including spas and inflatable wading pools.
Tough penalties for non-compliance
Pool owners and home occupiers can be fined more than $23,000 for failing to ensure a pool gate is securely closed.
As well as compliant fencing, adult supervision is a must when it comes to children and pools.
A Queensland Family and Child Commission report identified supervision was considered inadequate in 65 per cent of early childhood pool fatalities.
Cr Dickson said people supervising young children should maintain an immediate, continuous view of the pool area and avoid being distracted by other people and priorities.
“Regardless of what else is going on, whether it’s a busy time of day or there are visitors in the home, a responsible adult must be watching young children in the pool area and ensure pool gates are securely closed,” he said.
More information about pool safety compliance is available on Council’s website or from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.