As the temperature begins to rise and the temptation to cool off in the backyard increases, so too does the risk of a child’s life being lost in a Sunshine Coast swimming pool.
Sunshine Coast Council is pleading with pool owners to take the simple but necessary steps to prevent a tragedy this summer or risk receiving a $23,000 fine.
Forty children under four years old lost their lives in regulated pools, in Queensland, between 2011 and 2021. A further 853 received medical attention after a non-fatal immersion incident.
Faulty fencing, gates that don’t latch or have been purposely propped open, accounted for 90 per cent of pool fatalities and life-threatening immersions. *
Now is the time to check your pool is safe and educate your family about the importance of water safety and keeping the pool gate firmly shut.
Service Excellence Portfolio Councillor Christian Dickson said Council regulated and educated the community about swimming pool safety, and it was imperative that pool owners conducted regular checks to ensure their swimming pool fences and gates were safe and compliant.
“Fencing and gates become faulty with wear and tear, so Council encourages every pool owner to follow our free pool safety checklist regularly to provide a safe environment for their families, tenants and visitors,” Cr Dickson said.
“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 our State 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.
Pool owners and 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-do when it comes to children and pools.
The QFCC 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.
