Monday, November 17, 2008

Backyard Pool Safety - Everyone Can Be a Lifesaver

This summer, the Royal Life Saving Society Australia is asking everyone with a backyard pool to follow a simple checklist to make sure their fence is safe before tragedy can occur.

According to the Society, on average 35 Australian children under the age of five drown each year. Half of those children will drown in a backyard pool, and that is where you can take action to save a life.

“An increasing number of children are drowning by getting through, under or over existing pool gates and fencing that their parents believed was secure,” said Royal Life Saving CEO, Rob Bradley. “We are asking every pool owner to get out into their backyard this weekend and make sure it is safe and secure.”

“Pool Fencing legislation has now been in place for 10 to 15 years and many fences and gates have badly deteriorated,” said Bradley. “Recent local government surveys have shown that up to 85 per cent of home pools do not comply with the safety standards. That’s a frightening statistic.”

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