Page 16 The Moorabool News – 14 December, 2021
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Distractions lead to fatalities
Kidsafe Victoria’s Summer Pool Safety Tips: • Actively supervise children in and around water at all times. For toddlers, this means having an adult within arms' reach. • Appoint designated supervisors at BBQs and pool parties whose role it is to supervise the kids in and around the pool. This role can be shared throughout the day so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the festivities. • Ensure your pool barrier is secure and in proper working order. • Ensure no climbable objects are near the barrier e.g. pot plants, chairs, BBQ’s or pool pumps which could allow a child to climb over the barrier. • Never prop the pool gate open, this allows children easy and often unsupervised access to the pool area. • Don’t rely on inflatable pool toys to keep children safe - they are not life saving devices. • Learn CPR and update your skills regularly. • Be mindful of other potential outdoor water hazards, as toddlers can drown in as little as a few centimetres of water including eskys with melted ice, wading/inflatable pools and ponds.
Household chores - everyday tasks such as checking on dinner, taking the out the rubbish or putting the washing out - were the most common distractions which led to lapses in supervision of children around water (41%). Research into fatal toddler drowning incidents conducted by UNSW Sydney, James Cook University and Royal Life Saving Australia also found other most common causes of breaks in active adult supervision included talking or socialising (11%), and electronic distractions (9%). On the back of Victoria’s worst childhood drowning toll in over 20 years, Kidsafe Victoria is urging parents and carers to actively supervise children around water in a bid to reduce the number of drowning deaths. The call comes as thousands of families prepare to enjoy backyard BBQs and pool parties over the summer holidays. Jason Chambers, General Manager of Kidsafe Victoria, highlighted how quickly toddlers can get into trouble around water. "Toddlers are naturally curious and love water, yet they don’t understand the dangers it can pose. A split second is all it takes for a child to gain unsupervised access to the water area and 20 seconds is all it takes for a toddler to drown", he said. Despite significant reductions in toddler drowning deaths over time, drowning continues to be one of the leading causes of accidental death for Australian children under 5 years of age. Kidsafe Victoria recommends designating supervisors so there is no miscommunication over who is keeping watch of children around water. "At social gatherings such as BBQs and pool parties, there are lots of adults around and it can be easy to assume that someone else is actively supervising the kids, when in fact, nobody is," Mr Chambers said. "For toddlers, active adult supervision means keeping them within arm’s reach at all times around water, without any distractions." Along with active adult supervision, compliant pool and spa barriers play an important role in keeping toddlers safe.
‘Moonlite’ this Christmas
Christmas hasn’t really been able to be celebrated for the last two years, but now, there is something to celebrate – a live theatre performance. BacchChat is getting theatrical in its final session for 2021, with Mooraboolites of all ages invited to come along for some improv fun. Christmas can be a dramatic time, but this is the kind of Christmas drama you’ll want to take part in. The ‘Christmas Drama’ session will take place from 10 am until 12 pm on Saturday 18 December, with local community theatre group Moonlite Theatre joining in the fun. There will be play reading, songs, improv games, and a quiz/audience participation for all participants. If this sounds like fun to you, call Moorabool Libraries on 5366 7100 press prompt #5, or visit Moorabool Libraries on Facebook, to register for the session.
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