Staying Safe

Keep Little Ones Safe

Drowning is a leading cause of death in New Zealanders aged under five. It takes only centimetres of water and less than two minutes for your child to drown. Never turn away or leave your child unattended while they are near water.

Your supervision

Always stay where you can reach your little ones – make sure you can intervene immediately. Don’t shift responsibility for keeping children safe around water to anyone younger than 16 years old.

Constant

Close

In contact - ready to intervene

Above-ground
temporary pools

Water Safety New Zealand believes temporary pools are a significant danger to small children.
We’re calling for pools between 40cm and 1.2m high to be withdrawn from sale in New Zealand. Pools that are more than 1.2m high should only be sold with appropriate safety protection.

Right now temporary pools are widely available. But rules may not be clearly understood or followed. We must protect our most vulnerable people around water.

Be in the water with your young children – in close physical contact and ready to intervene.

When there are multiple children in the water, do not leave young children in the care of older children.

Ensure that pool barriers are strong and prevent a child from climbing on them.

Ensure that pool barriers have no gaps in the bottom of the fence which gives a child the opportunity to climb under it.

Portable pools

What needs a barrier

Portable above-ground pools that are more than 40cm high must have a suitable barrier restricting access for unsupervised children.

No barrier required

• Less than 40cm
• No barrier required
• EMPTY THE POOL AFTER EVERY USE
• Never leave a child unattended

Barrier of 1.2m required

• More than 40cm
• Empty portable pools when not in use
• Never leave climbable objects, ladders, or other equipment propped against portable pools

Barrier of 1.2m required

• More than 1m high
• Barrier of 1.2m required
• Empty portable pools when not in use.
• Never leave ladders propped against portable pools

Can be the barrier itself

• More than 1.2m high
• The pool itself can be the barrier if it has no climbable features on the outside.
• Pools require a barrier around a ladder or stairs. This barrier requires building consent.