Home water safety tips for under 5’s
As parents, being out and about with small children means being constantly vigilant, supervising so they don’t wander down random supermarket aisles, grab handfuls of chocolates, play hide and seek in the car park, tottering unknowingly onto a road. We get home: it’s familiar and safe. We relax, get on with household chores. But home, too, has its hazards.
Ever curious, young children are naturally attracted to water but do not understand its risks. Parents, meanwhile, can become complacent at home. This can be a tragic combination and in Australia drowning at home is a leading cause of preventable deaths in children under five years old.
Children can drown in less than two minutes in as little as 5cm of water. Royal Life Saving Australia stresses that, “Children drown quickly and silently, often without making any noise or splashing.”
Prevention: General Principles
Royal Life Saving Australia identifies four key principles in the prevention of drowning: supervise, restrict, teach, respond. (1)
Active Supervision – The Royal Life Saving Australia definition: “Active supervision means focusing all of your attention on your child, all of the time. You must be within arms’ reach, interacting with your child and be ready to enter the water in case of an emergency.” (2)
Restrict – access to potentially dangerous items or environments either by making them inaccessible or removing them.
Teach – children water familiarity, swimming and water safety skills.
Respond – parents are encouraged to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to ensure homes have an accessible first aid kit.
When
Research identifies two times of highest risk: (1) 50% of drownings at home take place in the afternoon when parents may be more distracted with older siblings, domestic tasks, preparing dinner (2) social situations and parties when parents are easily distracted or assume someone else might be watching.
Royal Life Saving Australia has found that being distracted by household chores – a knock at the door, taking a phone call, checking something on the stove – is the number one cause of a lapse of supervision in child drowning cases, accounting for 40% of fatalities.
Where
The Backyard Pool
Of children drowning in home swimming pools, 80% fall in by accident. Access to pool areas must be restricted with a properly installed and maintained pool fence with a self closing and self latching child proof gate. Never prop the gate open and ensure that items like garden chairs and furniture, ladders, and nearby trees cannot be used to get over fences. When younger children are in the pool, constant active supervision is necessary.
Bathtubs
25% of home drownings for children aged 0-4 occur in bathtubs. Royal Lifesaving Australia notes this almost invariably occurs when the child has been left unsupervised or in the care of siblings unable to supervise properly. Safe bathing includes gathering towels, clothes, soaps and bath toys before running the bath, not leaving children by themselves when running the bath and emptying the bath as soon as finished taking your child with you if bathing is interrupted by a doorbell or phone ringing not leaving other children to supervise. Close bathroom doors and bath plugs can be kept ‘out of reach’.
Inflatable and Portable Pools and other Temporary Pools
Legally, all pools containing more than 30cm of water must be fenced. Only fill when before use and empty straight away after finished. Pack and store appropriately (or turn upside down, for example with ‘clam shells’).
Fish Ponds and Water Features
These are full of interesting things, are often ‘unprotected’ and naturally attract attention. Strong wire mesh and / or safety netting that restrict a child from falling in are recommended.
Toilets, Buckets and Pet Bowls
Yes, toilets can be dangerous. Toddlers are ‘top heavy’ and can over balance when exploring water filled containers. As a parent, be aware of all water buckets and bowls around the house: buckets for watering the garden, an eskie containing melted ice, a dog bowl, large containers that might become hazardous if they collect rainwater. Empty them, store them upside down, or keep them out of children’s reach. And for toilets: these can be fitted with child safety latches.
At Surrey Park Swimming
Surrey Park Swimming encourages all children to attend swim schools and participate in learn to swim programs with a strong water safety focus. We have baby and toddler classes beginning with children aged 6 months in which parents actively participate including classes for preschoolers to gain more independence with a teacher in the water. These focus on promoting confident, safe enjoyment of water, and aim to keep your child safer.
References
- https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/communities/how-to-keep-children-safe/linked-pages/portable-pool-safety
- https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/communities/how-to-keep-children-safe/linked-pages/household-chores-number-one-cause-lapse-supervision-child-drowning-deaths