Inflatable and portable pools campaign
‘Kids can drown without a sound!’ is our statewide water safety and drowning prevention campaign with a focus on inflatable and portable pools.
Each year, an average of 13 drowning deaths and 84 non-fatal drowning incidents happen to children in NSW1. Children can drown without a sound quickly in just a few centimeters of water.
Portable and inflatable pools have the same drowning risk as permanent pools, in fact 1 in 5 swimming pools children drown in is portable.
If you use a portable or inflatable pool:
- They should only be used if you will empty and store them away after each use
- They are not toys and children under the age of five should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times
- Fines apply if you do not have a four sided fence around any pool that can be filled with more 30cm of water or more (the size of an average ruler)
- Faulty fences and gates are a major reason why toddlers drown in backyard pools. They should be regularly maintained. Contact your local council or accredited pool inspector for more information on pool barriers
- If it can be filled with 30cm of water, you need to have an approved CPR chart in the pool area.
To help prevent child drowning:
- Supervise children within arm’s reach with no distractions
- Have a compliant pool barrier that is used correctly and is maintained
- Teach children water familiarisation and swimming skills
- Learn CPR. Remember that any attempt at CPR is better than none at all. Free online CPR Training is available to teach parents and carers the basic skills needed to perform CPR on a child.
Campaign resources
Brochures and posters are available for download in 17 languages under ‘Downloads’ and ‘Available Translations’ tabs below.
Printed copies of these resources in English, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese can be ordered from the Resources to order page. These resources were developed after focus group testing by the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service.
The final report of the 2012-13 campaign, including further information on the issues with inflatable and portable swimming pools is available under ‘Downloads’ below.
References
1. Royal Life Saving (2017) A 13 year national study of non-fatal drowning in Australia: data challenges, hidden impacts and social costs
