Water Safety

Lives can be destroyed when babies and toddlers are not actively supervised around water.

Constant active adult supervision is the only way to keep babies and toddlers safe around water.

A Water Safety New Zealand video.

Key points to remember about water safety

drowning is a leading cause of death from injury in young people
babies mostly drown in buckets and baths
pre-schoolers mostly drown in home swimming pools and unfenced water hazards nearby homes
teens mostly drown in natural bodies of water, such as rivers and the sea

Two young children swimming in a pool wearing lifejackets

Never leave young children unsupervised near water

always keep within arm's reach of your child when they are in and around water
never leave children, especially those under 5 years of age, unsupervised near water, including baths, buckets, ponds, streams and water troughs
be aware of unfenced landscape water features, storm water catchment ponds and urban streams near homes
all children under the age of 3 years should be constantly supervised in the bath by an adult - if you need to leave the room, take your child with you
bath aids, bath seats or young siblings are not a replacement for adult supervision
never leave an unwell child unsupervised in the bath

Use pool fencing that completely surrounds your pool and check pool fences and gates regularly

use pool fencing that completely surrounds your pool and separates it from the house - spa pools are safest securely fenced
check the safety and security of your fences regularly
check your pool gates open outward away from the pool, swing shut and automatically latch, every time
check pool fences for gaps to crawl under, or for loose bars or planks
never prop open a pool gate or have anything nearby that might block the gate latch (such as clothes or towels)
make sure to remove any chairs or toys that children might use to climb over a pool fence
if fences are modified or houses and gardens redesigned, always check the pool fence still functions to keep children safe
be especially careful with children if you are visiting someone with a pool - if you are in a group, always make sure it is clear who has the job of watching the children; otherwise everyone may assume someone else is watching them

References:

Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee, Te Rōpū Arotake Auau Mate o te Hunga Tamariki, Taiohi. 2009. Fifth Report to the Minister of Health: Reporting mortality 2002–2008. Chapter 2: Drowning (PDF, 495KB) [1]. Wellington: Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee. [Accessed 09/09/2019]
Water Safety New Zealand 2014 Drowning report

External links and downloads (see the online version for more information at other websites)

Safekids Aotearoa water safety information [2]

Safekids Aotearoa has water safety information for five different age groups:

Water Safety New Zealand [8]

8 ways to keep babies and toddlers water safe [9]
water skills for life [10] - a programme developed for children aged 5 - 13 years to learn water safety
how to be beach water safe [11]

[12]

WaterSafe Auckland [13]

An extensive range of free resources available that you may find helpful in keeping yourself and others safer in and around water.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand [14]

Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) is the national association representing 74 Surf Life Saving Clubs in New Zealand. [15]

PoolSafe is a New Zealand Recreation Association and Water Safety New Zealand programme incorporating a range of initiatives aimed at reducing the number of water related injuries in and around New Zealand pools.

Fencing of swimming pools [17]

There is a lot of evidence that demonstrates that completely enclosing a swimming pool with 4 sided fencing and isolating it from the home is the most effective way to prevent young children from drowning in home swimming pools. In addition to the Paediatric Society position statement (February 2010), see also:

This page last reviewed 10 September 2019.
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