Check Your Pool Gate Month – Laurie Lawrence Kids Alive Do the 5

Former Australian Olympic Swimming Coach and current head of the KidsAlive™ Drowning Prevention Program, Laurie Lawrence, caught up with Steve to discuss the need for pool gate safety checks as part of National Check-Your-Pool-Gate Month, beginning December 1 each year.

Last year, 12 children under five drowned, with one in two (50%) taking place in backyard pools. Concerningly, despite 87% of all swimming pool drowning deaths of children under five occurring in backyard pools [2], a third (34%) of pool owners have never checked the safety of their gate and fence, whilst 42% are unaware of the correct fence safety gate hardware required.

With swimming lessons severely interrupted due to COVID, the need for increased precaution this summer is essential.

The research carried out by D&D Technologies reveals that although 81% of pool owners are aware that a faulty, unlatched or propped-open gate was the most common reason a child got into a pool area unsupervised, one in five (20%) parents still have no idea what to check to ensure their gate and fence are secure.

Last year, 12 children under have drowned, with one in two (50%) taking place in backyard pools. With swimming lessons severely interrupted due to COVID, the need for increased precaution this summer is essential.

Find out more information about pool safety and keeping your kids safe this summer visit Kids Alive website

[1] Survey of 1,002 Australian pool owners conducted by Pure Profile for D&D Technologies, November
[2] https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/33178/RLS_NationalDrowningReport2020LR-FINAL.pdf