The Royal Life Saving Society is calling on parents to provide their children with a safe play area on their rural properties after the tragic drowning of a six year old boy in Victoria.
Dams, water troughs and lakes on rural properties are all sites were young children have drowned.
“Rural properties require different strategies to keep children safe. You canâ„¢t fence off these large areas in the same way you would a backyard pool, said Mr Richard Franklin, National Health & Research Manager, Royal Life Saving.
The Royal Life Saving Society is calling on parents to provide their children with a safe play area on their rural properties after the tragic drowning of a six year old boy in Victoria.
Dams, water troughs and lakes on rural properties are all sites were young children have drowned.
“Rural properties require different strategies to keep children safe. You can’t fence off these large areas in the same way you would a backyard pool, said Mr Richard Franklin, National Health & Research Manager, Royal Life Saving.
“Royal Life Saving suggests creating a child-safe area close to the home. This is an area that is enclosed and keeps the children close to the home and away from any water bodies.
Royal Life Saving is reminding all parents that older siblings should not be entrusted with the responsibility of looking after younger children. Older children are not equipped with the skills to perceive and respond to an emergency situation, nor should they be given this responsibility.
Royal Life Saving has created a water safety checklist for parents on rural properties:
- Fill in unused ditches, sheep dips
- Covering/ lids on wells and tanks
- Ensure someone is designated to keep watch’ over children
- Ensure others on the farm (e.g. farm workers, visitors) are alert to “watch out for children who may wander off near water – especially at peak times when parents may get distracted (eg. harvesting, stock movement, BBQs with visitors)
- Create a child safe are to keep the child in a safe supervised area away from water bodies
Royal Life Saving has developed a series of fact sheets for parents with information on keeping their young ones safe when in, on or around water. These are available to view and download on www.keepwatch.com.au