A portable pool comes with certain responsibilities – and potential legal obligations – for parents and carers. So don’t duck out. Make your portable pool safe for children.
Did you know young children can drown in only 3cm of water, silently within just 20 seconds? That on average one young child dies from drowning in a portable pool in Australia every year? Or that the risk of drowning in any unfenced home pool is higher than one which is fenced? Or that you could be fined or prosecuted if you don’t safeguard your portable pool correctly?
Every year, Royal Life Saving produces a National Drowning Report. The report examines the factors that contribute to drowning deaths in Australia
As portable pools (also known as a wading, paddling, inflatable and kiddie pools) become cheaper and more popular, the drowning risk for young children grows. So, don't duck out of your responsibilities and any legal obligations.
Is the water in your pool 30cm or deeper? Then it's likely that you're legally obliged to erect a fence or safety barrier around your pool. Check with your local council or government agency.
If you don't ensure your portable pool meets your local authority's requirements, you could be subject to a fine or prosecution. And with councils and government agencies increasing checks on pools, including using aerial photography to survey backyards for bodies of water, it's increasingly likely you'll get caught.
Phillipa Wirangi’s world was turned upside down in 2015. "They’d set up one of those wading pools for summer and I don’t think they knew portable pools needed to be fenced. From what I’ve been told Eli was outside, the person watching him was on the phone inside, and he must’ve pulled a plastic chair to the edge of the pool. Next thing he was found floating in the water."
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Natasha Hadley is still haunted by the day her daughter Mia nearly drowned in 30 centimetres of water. The children’s father, Glen was sitting by the portable pool while his two kids were playing. Glen was momentarily distracted on the phone when Patrick (who was four at the time) came up to him and said “Daddy, Mia is sleeping in the pool.”
Read storyCheck out these resources for more information about pool safety and legislation.
In 2014/15 Royal Life Saving developed a range of fact sheets / translated resources for the Make it Safe campaign translated in...
Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and Commonwealth, State and Territory consumer affairs agencies have collaborated on the 'Make It Safe' campaign to educate people on the risks of owning a portable pool and encouraging five simple safety steps to reduce the risk.
Video from drowning prevention advocate Melanie Mitchell
These resources are available for your use if you’d like to support the Don’t Duck Out, Make It SAFE campaign. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #DontDuckOut and #MakeItSafe if you’re posting on social media.
