HOME POOLS ARE the most common site of drowning for children aged one to four. A new Standard is being developed which limits unsupervised access to swimming pools, spas and hot tubs by strengthening layers of protection for young children against the potential for drowning.

Water Safety New Zealand figures show that in the past 25 years, 3993 people drowned in NZ. Of those 3993 people, 386 were aged one to four and the most common site was the domestic swimming pool, with 136 deaths, and a further 17 deaths in spa pools.

The new Standard - Safety barriers for young children around swimming pools, spas and hot tubs - aims to prevent children from drowning by:

• Establishing requirements for barriers to protect young children against the potential for drowning.
• Providing clear guidance for the design and construction of safety barriers to pools, to restrict young children's access to swimming pools.

Extensive public comment has been received on the draft Standard. The public comment period has now closed and the committee will meet in September to discuss all comments and update the draft Standard.
The Standard is expected to be published early in 2007 and is sponsored by the Accident Compensation Corporation, Water Safety New Zealand and the Department of Building and Housing. Users of the Standard will include pool owners, tenants, parents, architects, designers, pool and spa manufacturers and local authorities.

The intention in developing the Standard is that Parliament will be able to consider using it as a replacement for the Schedule in the Fencing of Swimming Pool Act 1987 by way of an amendment to the Act.
"A national Standard will remove some of the confusion surrounding the current legislation," says committee Chair, Ian Godfrey, who is also a Senior Building Advisor at Manukau City Council. "Industry is seeking clearer directions on the obligations which need to be met by territorial authorities and pool owners for ongoing compliance."

The Standards development committee comprises representatives from a range of sectors who recognise that restricting unsupervised access to pools, coupled with constant adult supervision, is critical in preventing young children from drowning. The committee includes representatives from:

• Water Safety NZ and water safety organisations
• Child safety organisations
• Royal New Zealand Plunket Society
• Injury Prevention Network
• Pool and spa manufacturers
• Councils
• Architects and designers
• BRANZ (Building Research Association NZ) Limited
• The Department of Building and Housing.

For information about the new Standard, Safety barriers for young children around swimming pools, spas and hot tubs, please contact Michelle Wessing, Senior Project Manager at Standards NZ, e-mail michelle.wessing@standards.co.nz, phone 04 498 3957.