Distraction leads to drownings
ADVICE
YOU asked:
We’re spending most of f the holidays in and around the backyard pool but, with so many small children around, including mine, I’m worried about water safety. What advice do you have to keep everyone safe?
You could say that swimming ming for many Australians is part t of our DNA. Days spent under d the sprinkler or in the backyard pool are the stuff of childhood memories.
But a recent report from the University of NSW is a timely reminder that, without proper supervision, the risk of drowning is never too far away.
Dr Amy Peden (inset) is the lead author of the report looking into the causes of childhood drowning and a senior research fellow with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.
While some of the findings, such as that children under five years are most at risk, will hardly come as a surprise, the reasons for their exposure to harm are less obvious.
In the vast majority of cases, drowning was the result of a lapse in supervision, often because parents were completing WE WANT household chores. cases they were phones
Whether your kids are in the pool or the bath, Dr Peden says it’s important to stay on task.
“People are usually away for longer than they think,” she says. “They think that they will hear something (if something goes wrong but) children can slip under the water. There’s no substitute for supervision.”
As the mother of two small children, she understands that many parents can have multiple demands on their time.
“It can sometimes feel like an ineffective use of your time,” she says. “Park the other tasks that need to be done around the house and focus on water safety.”
In on some their
• If you haven’t already, check that your pool gate and locks are in good working order and cannot be easily opened.
• If you are packing up after staying at a holiday house with a pool, make sure the gate is secured and any small children are supervised.
• When preparing to bathe small children, make sure you have everything you need so you don’t have to leave the room until bath time is over.
Clear supervision
Having a lot of adults around is no guarantee of safety for kids in the water. Dr Peden says there have been cases of children drowning even when there were at leat 10 adults present poolside.
“Often it gets down to miscommunication between parents about who is watching the kids,” she says.
Where there are several adults around, be clear about whose job it is to be supervising
at any given time. Dr Peden says asking the supervising adult to wear a hat can make it more obvious.
If they need to leave the area, make sure they pass the duty on to someone else.
“Also, make sure the person supervising is a competent adult,” Dr Peden says. “That is, that they haven’t had too much to drink.”
Water courses
Although pools are an obvious risk, Dr Peden says any body of water is a source of danger.
“For it to be fenced (under the legislation), it needs to be water used for human aquatic activity, but fish ponds account for one drowning a year,” she says.
The study also points out drownings have happened in pet bowls and nappy buckets.
Although many of us enjoy water activity during summer, Dr Peden says it pays to be vigilant all year around.
“Children can and do drown all year round,” she says.
“Those everyday tasks that might not take very long may lead to a lapse in supervision, which can result in drowning.”