Home Pool Safety Checklist for Australian Families

Home pools are where most young children drown in Australian pools. Royal Life Saving's 2026 research found that 170 children aged under five drowned over the past decade, and 49% of those deaths were in swimming pools. 93% of the pool deaths happened at home, and in 78% of cases the child was not being directly supervised. A compliant fence and gate save lives, but only when they work and are kept shut.

What the research shows

Royal Life Saving's 2026 study of child drowning deaths in pools over ten years found:

• 34% of cases involved a gate that had been left open or propped open
• 20% involved a fence that did not comply
• 14% involved a faulty barrier
• 19% involved a pool with no fence at all

The National Drowning Report 2026 recorded 44 drowning deaths in swimming pools in 2025–26, with 66% in home pools. Royal Life Saving's own summaries give a slightly different total for pools, so treat the figure as about 40 to 44 deaths.

Weekly gate and fence check

• The gate closes by itself from any open position.
• The gate latches without being pushed.
• The latch is out of a child's reach and still works.
• The gate opens away from the pool.
• The gate is never propped or tied open.
• Fence panels and posts are secure, with no damage.
• Gaps under the fence and between panels are less than 100 mm.
• The fence is at least 1.2 m high from the ground or anything a child can stand on.

Around the fence

• Chairs, tables, toys, pot plants, barbecues and pool equipment are kept away from the fence.
• Trees and shrubs do not give a foothold or handhold to climb over.
• Nothing has been stacked against the outside of a boundary fence.
• Doors and windows that open into the pool area are locked or restricted as required.

Our non-climbable zone guide explains the clear areas around a pool fence.

Inside the pool area

• A current CPR sign is displayed where it can be seen.
• Pool covers are fully secured or fully removed, never partly on.
• Suction outlets have compliant covers, and you know where the pump switch is.
• Toys are removed from the water after swimming so children are not tempted back.

Supervision

Royal Life Saving's Keep Watch program has four actions:

1. Supervise: always watch children around water, within arm's reach for toddlers.
2. Restrict: keep access to the pool behind a working, closed barrier.
3. Teach: build water familiarisation and swimming skills as children grow.
4. Respond: learn CPR and update your skills regularly.

Portable and inflatable pools

Portable and inflatable pools that can hold about 300 mm of water need a compliant barrier in most states. Empty small paddling pools after every use and store them so they cannot fill with rainwater.

Get a professional check

A barrier inspection can find problems that are easy to miss, such as a gate that only latches when pulled or a gap that has grown under the fence. Compare pool safety inspectors, and read the pool safety laws in your state.