…with yet more ‘Something must be done….for the children!’ legislation:
‘In memory of our son we will also be pushing for UK legislation to introduce safety measures, for instance fencing or child-safe pool covers for all in-ground pools.’
And is the Great British Public aghast at this further interference and unnecessary overhead cost? Why, no:
When we had our pool put in they would not finish it until we had security fencing or an alarm, but we went for the fence as felt that alarm is not safe as a bit like car alarms its too late then………………………………….it should be law everywhere RIP little lad so sad………………..
- Garden of Paradise, Somewhere in France, 02/12/2011 09:17
I thought you were supposed to have a fence and locked gate around pools these days. What a tragedy and terrible loss for the family. This should not have happened.
- Ross KELLY, Sydney, 02/12/2011 07:02
in the USA you have yto have your pool fenced off with a high wire fence,,( a bit like a tennis court fence) Then it has to have a locked gate. If this was made compulsary in this country these tradgedies would not occur. I feel terribly for the parents. loss. – susan , Leatherhead, 01/12/2011 19:23 _________________________________ It is the same here in Australia. Pools must be fenced, and inspected by Council officials to an approved standard.
- Jaz, Narara, NSW, Australia, 02/12/2011
So we’ll become like the US and Australia. Because – as a result of this legislation – no child ever dies in a swimming pool. Right?
Where children gained access to fenced pools, the majority did so via faulty or inadequate gates, or through gates that were propped open.
But hey, if it saves one life…right?
Accidents happen. When are we going to learn that?
No doubt we can then start fencing all natural pools and lakes, all river banks, and we could make a start all round the beaches in case people wander into the sea.
Good point. Puddles can get pretty deep too.
Deeper, clearly, than the ‘thinkers’ that come up with these campaigns!
I thin fences are unsightly. Therefore I propose that all pools should contain no more than 2 pints of water.
It’s for the children you know.
Mightn’t the kids hurt themselves on the fences?
Keeping an eye on the kids, or gasp, teaching them to swim, is of course, out of the question.
Link.
According to Life Saving Victoria, seven toddlers drowned in Victoria in 2009-10.
Children aged four and under make up 6 per cent of the state’s population but represent 18 per cent of all drowning deaths.
Laws require all of the estimated 128,000 backyard swimming pools in Victoria to have safety barriers installed.
Owners face fines of up to $5000 for ignoring the rules.
So every pool has to have fencing but kids under four are about three times over-represented in the states for death by drowning. Sounds to me like it doesn’t actually work all that well in practice and the state needs to ban swimming pools. And drain all the lakes and oceans…
Link.
… new Life Saving Victoria figures reveal a 10 per cent increase in the past year in the number of Victorians drowning at inland waterways. An additional nine-year study by the state Coroner’s Office and Life Saving Victoria showed an average of nine alcohol-related deaths in the state every year, mostly men aged between 35 and 44 and mostly in rivers.
It is one of only two demographics where the drowning rate in Victoria has increased this year. The other was in children aged five to 14. Drownings of toddlers are significantly down, as are drownings involving recent migrants, international students and tourists.
And since the pool fence laws have been in place for ages it doesn’t seem like they’ve got anything to do with the reduction in numbers of drowned toddlers, especially when the article is – I kid you not – about the dangers of illegally unfenced backyard paddling pools.
Help solve the unemployment problem.
A mandatory 24/7 life guard for every stretch of water over 1 square yard a licence for the body of water and a warning flag with a green hammer an sickle to keep the eu content. Oh and you all pay for it from central funds extorted from the taxpayer under the false pretence of collectivism.
Don’t give them ideas!
Australians are past masters at ‘cheeeeeeldrun’ legislation.
Ideally, parents should be held to account and given long prison sentences for allowing their cheeeeldren out of their sight for long enough to get themselves killed. That’ll learn ‘em.