December is National Check your Pool Gate Month

This National Check your Pool Gate Month, pool owners are urged to check the safety of their pool surrounds.

Even with 82 per cent of pool owners being aware that faulty or unlatched pool gates are the most common causes of unauthorised access by toddlers to the pool areas, research reveals parents are still not checking the safety of their pool area, fence and gate.

New research by MagnaLatch manufacturer D&D Technologies shows the main reasons parents of under-fives are not checking the pool area for safety include not knowing what parts of the pool need to be checked (19 per cent), simply forgetting (18 per cent) and not having enough time (10 per cent).

Child water safety advocate Laurie Lawrence says he is shocked by the lack of diligence and urged all pool owners to check the safety of their pool gates during National Check your Pool Gate Month this December, as faulty pool gates and fences remain a leading cause of drownings in Aussie kids under five.

“We know that kids who drown most commonly gain access to the pool area through a faulty fence or gate and this is something that should not be happening," says Lawrence.

“Pool owners need to check their fences, gates, latches and hinges regularly, as a gate that is not self-closing and self-latching provides instant and often undetected access for toddlers to the pool area,” he says.

It only takes a few minutes for pool owners to check that their pool fences and gates, including latches and hinges, are in good working order. This simple routine done regularly could save the life of a child.

Pool owners are urged to download a checklist at www.checkyourpoolgate.com.au or attend an educational session at select Bunnings Hardware stores during December to understand how to check the safety of their pool surrounds and how to install the safest pool fence and gate equipment.