Mayor's plea as weather warms
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With the warmer weather on its way, many of us take to water to beat the heat and while playing in water can be fun, it can also lead to tragedy.
Mayor of the City of Canterbury Bankstown, Khal Asfour, said there were three important things parents and carers must be aware of around water:
Always stay alert;Never leave children unattended; andAlways supervise children around water.“It’s particularly important around backyard swimming pools, where residents must make sure their pools are secure,” he said.
“Unfortunately, of the more than 1,000 local backyard pools our officers inspect each year, 95 percent are non-compliant.
“While 99 per cent of owners do then address the issues, they are leaving themselves open to a tragedy in the first instance, which could impact them for the rest of their lives.
“Pool safety is the responsibility of all home owners who have pools, so I urge them to check their pool fence and gate.
“Always ensure the gate is closed and there are no chairs or other items nearby for children to stand on to unlock it, or climb the fence.
“Too many children lose their lives every year in Australia, due to poor pool safety, not to mention the number of close calls.”
The main reasons for non-compliance include:
Maintenance issues, such as plants/trees growing into the ‘No Climb Zone’ close to the pool fence;Pool gates not self-latching; andThe pool is a cheap blow-up without a pool fence.Council also promotes pool safety, as part of its Learn to Swim program and free CPR courses.
“There are currently 4,063 children enrolled in our Learn to Swim program, up by 88 on 2018, while places always fill fast for our CPR courses, which are run by St John Ambulance,” Mayor Asfour said.
For more information, and to take part in one of our CPR courses, call 9789 9800.