Water Safety

Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death for children under 5.

Whether at home, visiting family and friends or on holiday, it is always important to keep safety in mind when children are in or near water.

Drowning can occur silently in as little as 3cm of water in less than 2 minutes. Sadly, on average, one child dies each week in Australia as a result of preventable drowning. Children aged 1-3 years are the most vulnerable.

Children, especially toddlers, seem to be drawn to water whether it is in the bath, the toilet, buckets, swimming pools, puddles, dams etc. Whilst children may drown in a variety of these water environments, the backyard swimming pool remains the most dangerous water environment for young children.

Children can drown in:

• Swimming pools
• Spas
• Bath tubs
• Rivers, creeks and oceans
• Dams and lakes

Or in less obvious locations, such as:

• Nappy buckets,
• Toilets
• Water tanks,
• Water features
• Fish ponds
• Pets’ water bowls

The statistics:

• For every fatal drowning, there are three non-fatal drowning incidents
• Males drown at a rate 4 times that of females
• One-year-old toddlers record the highest drowning rate of any age
• Rivers and lakes account for 36% of drowning deaths
• Coastal environments (beaches, ocean and rock) account for 41% of drowning deaths
• 23% of drowning deaths occur while swimming and recreating
• 61% of drowning deaths occur outside of major cities
• Fatal drowning rate has reduced by 26% over the last ten years
• Child (0-4 years) fatal drowning rate has reduced by 50% over the last ten years
• Household chores and socialising found to be the most common causes of breaks in active adult supervision of children around water

What to do:

To stay safe around water, the Australian Water Safety Council urge all Australians to:

• Supervise children at all times in, on and around water
• Learn swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills
• Wear a lifejacket when boating, rock fishing or paddling
• Swim at a patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags
• Avoid alcohol and drugs around water

Is your backyard pool set for summer?

‘Check the Safety of Your Pool Fence Before Your Child Does’

Despite significant reductions in toddler drowning deaths over time, drowning continues to be one of the leading causes of accidental death for Australian children under 5 years of age. Statistics from the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia show that in 2021/22, 17 Australian children aged 0-4 years drowned, with swimming pools being the most common location where these incidents occurred.

While safety barriers can be effective in reducing the risk of drowning incidents, evidence suggests that a large number of drowning deaths are the result of barriers that are faulty, or non-compliant with Australian standards.

Kidsafe’s ‘Safe Barriers Save Lives’ campaign urges all pool and spa owners to register and check their barriers in the lead up to summer. The campaign also promotes the importance of other water safety measures to keep children safe around water, including active adult supervision, CPR/first aid knowledge and water awareness.

The ‘Safe Barriers Save Lives’ campaign is proudly supported by Safetech Hardware Australia.

Kids Alive Do the Five

In 1988 to combat drowning, Laurie Lawrence created the Kids Alive – Do the Five water safety program. The Kids Alive community service program educates the public on five important steps to reduce the risk of preschool drowning.

1. Fence the pool
2. Shut the gate
3. Teach your kids to swim – it’s great
4. Supervise – watch your mate
5. Learn to resuscitate

First Aid and CPR

It is a good idea for parents and carers of children to at least have basic knowledge of First Aid and CPR – this will equip you with the skills to respond just in case the unthinkable does happen. Having First Aid and CPR knowledge is particularly important if you have a home pool or spa.

The best way to ensure you have up to date and comprehensive knowledge is by taking part in a formal first aid course every three years and updating your CPR knowledge every 12 months.

If you have a home pool or spa it is a good idea to have a CPR sign clearly visible nearby (e.g. on the pool fence) as a reminder of what to do in an emergency. Kidsafe also recommends that all households have a fully stocked First Aid kit which is easily accessible. 

Hopefully these are skills you will never need to use. However, it is better to be prepared just in case, as you may just save a life.

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