Pool fences – is it enough?

It has been announced that further conditions will be placed on pool fences in response to an increased accident rate for backyard pools.

The concern over the safety of pools in the backyard is an emotive issue and one which needs careful consideration. The requirement for pool fences is a sensible one, but only where parents are encouraged or assisted to provide swim training and safety lessons for their children.

The majority of pool accidents are not caused by the lack of pool fences, but by the lack of supervision of children. Whilst a pool will be an impediment to a child, if the child has enough initiative they will get through most pool fences.

Having children learn to swim from a young age will reduce the risk of pool accidents, as will teaching children of the importance of being safe around pools. These coupled with the pool fence will reduce the risk of accident significantly, the fence alone is not enough.

Swimsafe provides details of local courses available for children to learn to swim. Courses begin from 18 months up.

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