Upper Lachlan Shire residents are being urged to make safety a priority and ensure their swimming pools meet current pool fencing requirements.
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Upper Lachlan Shire Council’s General Manager John Bell said, sadly, inadequate pool fencing remains a major contributing factor in the rate of drowning among children under 5 years of age.
“According to statistics from Kids Health, the health promotion unit of The Children's Hospital at Westmead, 70% of all drowning deaths in this age group occur in backyard swimming pools and a large number of those children drown because of inadequate pool fencing,” Mr Bell said.
“While pool fencing requirements vary depending on when the pool was built and where the pool is located, all pool owners in NSW – including owners of inflatable and portable swimming pools – must ensure their pools comply with fencing laws.
“I would encourage everyone with a swimming pool to visit the NSW Fair Trading website* to ensure their swimming pool meets the current pool fencing requirements.
“Ensuring you have adequate pool fencing is a simple step to ensure the safety of a young life.”
In addition to ensuring that fencing meets current pool fencing requirements, swimming pool owners should always remember to:
- Check your pool fence throughout the year, especially in the months leading up to summer;
- Ensure children have constant adult supervision within arms reach;
- Ensure members of the household learn Infant CPR;
- Familiarise children with water and teach them to swim, but never assume that they are not likely to drown;
In the case of inflatable or portable pools that can hold more than 30cm of water, a compliant four-sided fence must be installed to ensure safety.
For inflatable or portable pools that can hold less than 30cm of water, owners should always empty and store away the pool when not in use.
For further information, or advice, please contact Council’s Environment and Planning Department on 4830 1000.
*Pool fencing requirements are available on the NSW Fair Trading website: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Consumers/Product_and_service_safety/Pool_safety/Pool_fenci ng_requirements.page.
