POOL SAFETY WARNING AS AUSSIES ADMIT TO SLIPPING STANDARDS

It only takes a moment for tragedy to strike

If you’ve ever looked at your pool gate and thought, She’ll be right, this new research is here to ruin your day.

As summer kicks off and kids start eyeing off the water, a new report has found that many Australian pool owners have quietly let safety slide to the bottom of their to-do list.

Nearly half of pool owners admit they’re not even sure their gate would pass a proper safety inspection. Even more alarming, 70 per cent haven’t checked their latch or hinges in at least six months.

That’s not a small whoopsie. It’s an actual risk as we head into peak drowning season.

The research, released for Check Your Pool Gate Month by D&D Technologies and Kids Alive, paints a pretty clear picture:

Australians are complacent, distracted, and, in some cases, just guessing their pool gate is fine.

Forty-one per cent say they don’t think about it at all, 21 per cent don’t know what to look for, and almost a quarter claim they don’t have the time.

Most people say they’d be “extremely worried and unsafe” if they discovered their pool gate wasn’t working correctly.

Laurie Lawrence, founder of Kids Alive and ambassador for the campaign, isn’t sugar-coating it.

“This report is a real wake-up call,” says Laurie. “We’ve made significant progress in drowning prevention over the years, but we can’t afford to relax.

Pool gates save lives, yet too many people assume their gates are working fine without ever checking. That kind of complacency is dangerous.”

Despite that fear, almost a third of families admit they’ve left their pool gate open while cleaning.

A surprising number can’t remember the last time they had a compliance certificate, and 13 per cent haven’t had one since the pool was installed.

Seventy per cent wouldn’t know how to fix a safety issue, and only 15 per cent ever talk about pool safety with friends or family.

Forgetfulness, lack of time and good old confusion top the list of excuses for not keeping gates in working order.

A third of pool owners say they’d rely on someone else to notice or fix a fault. It’s not the kind of hands-off approach you want to hear when toddlers can slip through a malfunctioning gate in seconds.

“It only takes a moment for tragedy to strike,” continues Laurie. “A faulty gate can be just as dangerous as leaving a child unsupervised in the pool. It’s not just a gate, it’s a lifesaver.”

Emma Lawrence, Operations Director at Kids Alive and fellow campaign ambassador, says too many families don’t understand the immediate danger of leaving a gate propped open.

“Although most families admitted they would feel very concerned if they discovered their gate wasn’t protecting their families, nearly a third are still propping it open when they are cleaning the pool, or most concerningly when a lot of people are using it,” says Emma.

She says there’s never an acceptable moment to leave a gate open. “We want people to understand there is never a time when it is okay to leave a pool gate open because it is the immediate first line of defence for protecting little ones from drowning.

If they can’t get in, you diminish the risk. The reality is most drownings occur in backyard pools, so we need to be most vigilant at home.”

With the heat ramping up, the message is simple: spend a few minutes checking your gate before you even think about inflating a pool toy.

Upgrade the hardware if it’s dodgy, test that it swings and latches properly, and make it a conversation at home rather than a crisis after the fact.

“One in three families believes pool owners should get an official safety inspection, and while we applaud and certainly encourage that sentiment, there are still things people can do themselves to make their pool gates safer.

Checking the gate to ensure it works correctly only takes a few minutes, but it can mean the difference between life and death. Let’s make sure our kids are safe before they swim,” concludes Laurie.

A checklist is available at checkyourpoolgate.com.au for anyone wanting a simple, step-by-step guide to staying safe this summer.