Nine out of ten swimming pool deaths are in children under five

A survey of Australian pool owners by pool safety-latch manufacturer D&D Technologies has revealed some alarming facts about pool fence safety.

Around half of pool owners didn't know if their pool fence complied with Australian Standards, one third of owners admitted they had never checked their pool gate or fence and 42 per cent did not know the correct fence safety gate hardware to use.

Nine out of ten of all swimming pool drowning deaths of children under five occur in backyard pools and with more families predicted to be holidaying at home this Christmas, water safety advocate and Check-Your-Pool-Gate-Month Ambassador Laurie Lawrence is calling on pool owners to be more diligent and get prepared for the peak swimming season.

"December marks the start of 'Check-Your-Pool-Gate Month' and pool owners very seriously need to take responsibility to ensure a safe swimming environment for their family and friends," he said.

Laurie said pool owners needed to be methodical and consistent about checking pool gate latches and hinges regularly.

"A gate that's not self-closing and self-latching provides instant access for toddlers to the pool area. Drowning is silent, there is no warning, no screaming. Prevention is the answer and one of the key aspects of that is a safe, correctly fenced and gated pool."

Last year, 12 children under five drowned, 50 percent of those in backyard pools.

"Learning to swim is the No. 1 drowning prevention method, but world events have stopped that for many families, and unfortunately research from industry body Swim Australia shows 41 per cent of parents have no plans to put their children back into lessons over the next 12 months," Laurie said.

"This is a big red flag for me and means we need to be extra vigilant about the other water safety methods available to us, like a secure gate, fence and constant supervision."

Laurie said giving grandchildren the gift of swimming lessons for Christmas was also a wonderful idea as many parents were struggling financially at the moment.

Australian company D&D Technologies, which manufactures magnetic latches and polymer gate hinges for pools and is a long-time partner of Laurie Lawrence's KidsAlive Drowning Awareness Campaign, has created a guide called the Sense Of Summer to help families understand what areas they need to check to safeguard their backyards and pool.

"We are also sharing some great ideas on how to get the most out of a "staycation" and family time this festive season. It's been an eventful year and we all deserve some extra cheer," said company technical director John Clark.

Visit www.checkyourpoolgate.com.au to download the Sense Of Summer Guide.