Being around water is part of everyday Australian life, whether it be at the beach, backyard pools and spas, rivers and creeks, public swimming pools or dams on farms.

However it also poses a hazard for children, who can drown in just 20 seconds and in as little as a few centimetres of water. This means that items such as inflatable swimming pools, baths and nappy buckets all pose a drowning hazard. Children not only drown quickly, but also silently.

Children require active adult supervision around water at all times; for toddlers, this means being within arm’s reach (e.g. in the pool or spa with them or beside them in the bath) so that you are able to help them stay safe.

Any pool or spa capable of holding more than 30 centimetres of water is required to be surrounded by a safety barrier by law. For more information on pool and spa safety barrier laws contact your local council or Kidsafe Victoria.

Remember to ‘Never take your eyes off children’ and always ‘Play it Safe by the Water’.

For more information and tips on keeping children safe around water, please download our free water safety fact sheets below.

Kidsafe is proud to be a member of the Victorian Government’s Play it Safe By the Water Campaign. For more information on the Play it Safe by the Water campaign please visit http://www.watersafety.vic.gov.au/

Resources

• Water safety fact sheet
• Portable pool fact sheet
• Royal Life Saving fact sheets
• Play it Safe By the Water website