Public Pool Supervision

What is active supervision and how do we supervise responsibly?

Active Supervision

Lack of direct supervision by a parent or carer is believed to be a contributing factor in 70% of all drowning deaths at public pools.  As a result, Royal Life Saving is focusing on high risk areas for toddler drowning deaths, including public pools.

Active supervision at public pools consists of four key elements:

Be equipped: Ensure you have everything you need before getting into the water, towels, dry clothes, nappies, etc.

Be Near: we preach being in arms’ reach.

Be Responsive: Your child should be your number one focus so hop in the pool and interact with them by talking and playing games.

Be Attentive: You should never leave your child alone in the water, or in the care of an older child, and remember, you’re child is your responsibility and not the responsibility of the lifeguards on duty.

There are many informative resources available for you to use, one being the ‘Keep Watch @ Public Pools’ program. An initiative of Royal Life Saving Australia. We highly recommend taking the time to view the manual.