By April Murphy
Life can get busy, and it is sometimes easy to overlook general maintenance and repair around the home.
Brisbane City Council has revealed findings that out of the 1006 pool inspections carried out this year to date, more than a quarter failed to meet the required safety standards.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has made an urgent call to Brisbane pool owners. He asks residents to check for primary safety risks after figures revealed one-in-four pools that were assessed failed to meet the current safety standards.
Cr Schrinner said the five most common safety risks residents often unknowingly had with their pools included faulty gate latches; objects encroaching the non-climbable zone (furniture, pots, toys, etc.); maintenance of fencing (keeping fencing in sound and working condition); changing fencing without gaining approval; and outdated CPR signs.
“Tragically, drowning continues to be a leading cause of accidental death in children under five in Australia, with swimming pools accounting for half of all toddler drownings in the past financial year,” he said.
The Lord Mayor has stated that this the middle of the peak pool season is now and residents need to the take time to “summer safe” their pool before diving in and help ensure that a fun afternoon in the sun doesn’t take a tragic turn.
Poolwerx offers a free pool safety downloadable checklist. They also partner with the Kids Alive – Do the Five, program to help promote the importance of pool safety in the hope of preventing childhood drownings.
Swim Safety Ambassador and Founder of Kids Alive – Do The Five, Laurie Lawrence, joined Cr Schinner in reiterating the importance of maintaining a safe gate and fence.
“A swimming zone should be checked at least four times a year but especially in Summer,” Mr Lawrence said.
The Kids Alive – Do The Five steps are:
1. Fence the Pool
2. Shut the Gate
3. Teach Your Kids to Swim
4. Supervise
5. Learn how to resuscitate.
You can find out more information about Pool Safety Regulations on the Brisbane City Council website. Swimming pool safety and regulations do not only include pool fencing. Council also offers a free safety inspection that will only take about 30 mins.
“Education is a big part of what we do, so residents who have their pools inspected will receive a written report and technical guidance on what they need to do to fix any issues that have been found,” says Cr Schrinner.
Cr Schrinner said children drown quickly and silently, so it was also important to supervise children while they are in or around water, increase their water awareness and ensure first aid knowledge is up to date.
For further information on pool safety, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au, and to request a free Pool Safety Inspection, email us at LCS-CARS-BE_Ops@brisbane.qld.gov.au