Safety Tips
10-point pre-season pool safety checklist
19 September 2017
The weather is warming up around the country and before we know it, summer (and school holidays) will be on here. While many of us have kept up our maintenance routine over winter to keep the water clean and clear, we probably haven’t given much consideration to the equipment we rely to keep the pool area safe – the fence, gate and latch, to name a few.
“Owning a pool or spa is one of life’s great pleasures, but for the safety of young children and non-swimmers, it’s really important that they are properly secured and maintained not only throughout summer but year-round,” says Chris Fitzmaurice, Swimart's national manager.
“Nothing replaces close supervision by a responsible adult, but having complying fences and gates goes a long way to protecting our kids."
While nothing replaces close supervision by a responsible adult, this 10-point pre-season pool safety checklist will hopefully give you peace of mind.
Swimart’s summer safety tips
- Regularly check fences, gates and child resistant locks are working properly:
- Pool gates must open outward from pool, be self-closing and self-latching, latch shut on the first swing, be more than 1.5m from the ground, and comply with local council regulations
- Pool fence must be secure and in good working order, should be at least 1.2m high and no more than 100mm from the ground, and not have vertical gaps more than 100mm apart
- Do not prop the gate open and ensure there are no gaps under the pool fence that young kids can climb under, or climbable furniture they can use to gain access into the pool area
- Empty smaller wading pools and put them away when you are finished using them
- Store portable pools safely away from young children, and ensure they cannot fill with rain water or water from sprinklers
- Actively supervise children within arms’ reach whenever they are in, or around the water
- Never rely on older children to supervise younger children
- Teach children about water safety from an early age and consider enrolling them in a swim class at the beginning of the season
- Encourage everyone in your family to learn resuscitation and first aid skills
- Clearly display a legible CPR chart in the pool area
- Securely store pool chemicals out of view and out of children’s reach
Has your CPR chart faded from the sun or is torn from windy weather? Then pick up a new one from your local Swimart store or call us on 1300 991 104.
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