POLICY CONTENT

The safety and supervision of children is paramount when in or around water.  This relates to water play, excursions near water, hot water, drinking water and hygiene practices with water in the Service environment. Children will be supervised at all times during water play experiences to help keep children safe in and around water and support children’s learning in a safe environment. 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS) 

QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety

2.1.2	Health practices and procedures	Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised and implemented.

 

PURPOSE 

To ensure the safety and supervision of children in and around water. This includes water play, excursions near water, hot water, drinking water and hygiene practices with water in the Service environment. 
 

SCOPE 

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the Service. 
 

IMPLEMENTATION 

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, an Approved provider must ensure that policies and procedures are in place for managing water safety, including during any water-based activities and take reasonable steps to ensure those policies and procedures are followed. 
 
According to Kidsafe, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death for Australian children. Every year a number of children are killed and hundreds more rescued from near drowning situations. Non-fatal drowning incidents are also of great concern as they can have potential long-term effects, including brain damage and permanent disability.

The most common factor in childhood drowning is lack of supervision. A child can drown in as little as a few centimetres of water. Items such as nappy buckets, sinks, pet drinking bowls, ponds, pools, water features, water tanks are all potential drowning hazards. [kidsafe.com.au/water-safety/] 

WATER HAZARDS 

The National Regulations make reference to ‘water hazards’ however the term is not expressly defined. In this policy, a water hazard is defined as anything that can hold 5cm of water and fit a child’s nose and mouth and a ‘water hazard’ may include: 

• large bodies of water such as dams, creeks, river or pooling water, swimming pool, portable pools and spas, jetted bathtubs (or Jacuzzis) 
• fishponds 
• smaller bodies of water such as baths, mop buckets  
• sinks, basins 
• water features, such as a wishing well 
• containers for feeding animals 
• water troughs, containers for paddling- clam shells 
• the beach 

Nominated Supervisor / Responsible Person will:

• complete detailed risk assessments that identify and assess risks associated with any water hazards and water-based activities 
• ensure water hazards and water play are always highly supervised including: 
  • direct and constant monitoring of children  
  • careful and intentional positioning of educators 
  • scanning and moving around the environment 
  • observing play and anticipating behaviour 
  • ensuring higher adult to child ratios  
  • ensuring no child is left unattended when in proximity to water
• provide direction and education to educators, staff and families on the importance of children’s safety and supervision in and around water 
• ensure health and safety practices incorporate approaches to safe storage of water and water play  
• ensure premises adjacent to or providing access to any water hazards that are not able to be adequately supervised at all times (e.g. dams, swimming pool) are to be isolated from children by a child resistant barrier or fence 
• ensure there are no items near fencing that children could climb up onto to gain access to a water hazard (pot plants, boxes, chairs) 
• conduct a risk assessment in accordance with Regulation 101 prior to taking children on an excursion - consider any water hazards and any risks associated with water-based activities before an excursion/incursion is approved 
• ensure at least one educator who holds a current approved first aid qualification is in attendance at the service at all times 
• display a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) guide near any swimming pool, wading pool, or body of water 
• ensure water hazards and water play are always highly supervised 
• ensure hot water is inaccessible to children.

 Educators will:

• supervise children near water at all times 
• never leave children alone near any water 
• ensure children in a bath (if required) are directly supervised at all times 
• ensure fish / frog ponds and water features that are not able to be adequately supervised at all times and/or pose an unacceptable risk to children are guarded or effective barriers are in place 
• complete a daily Safety Inspection of premises to ensure that all hazards are known and minimised 
• when a hazard or potential hazard is detected, educators will complete a risk assessment to address any concerns and children will be excluded from the area until the hazard has been rectified
• utilise water activities in appropriate weather as part of the planned program 
• allow the children the opportunity to experiment with water, sand, and mixing materials 
• incorporate water safety awareness into the educational program 
• monitor all taps on the premises that children have access to and ensure they are turned off securely when not in use 
• safely cover or make inaccessible to children all water containers, e.g. mop buckets. 
• empty wading pools immediately after every use and store to prevent the collection of water, e.g., upright 
• check for and empty any water that has collected in holes or containers after rainfall or watering gardens  
• ensure water troughs are not used without a stand to keep it off the ground 
• ensure children remain standing on the ground whilst using the water trough 
• ensure buckets of water for soaking toys or clothing are inaccessible to children 
• ensure water troughs or containers for water play are filled to a safe level and emptied into the garden areas after each use 
• discourage children from drinking from these water activities (as above) 
• ensure laundry, storerooms and educator areas are to have Staff Only signs on doors to remind adults to close doors behind them 
• teach children about staying safe in and around water 
• ensure wading pools are hygienically cleaned, disinfected and chlorinated appropriately: 
  • on a daily basis remove leaves and debris, hose away surface dirt and scrub inside with disinfectant 
  • wash away disinfectant before filling pool 
  • add Chlorine to pool before children used the pool 
  • check chlorine levels frequently 
  • children with diarrhoea, upset stomach, open sores or nasal infections should not use the pool 
  • all children should wear appropriate swimwear / bathers, go to the toilet before entering the pool, and follow correct toilet hygiene practices while in the pool 
  • remove all children immediately, empty and disinfect the pool should a child pass a bowel motion whilst in the pool 

Important: Parents will be notified as soon as practicable but within 24 hours if their child is involved in an incident/accident at the Service or while under Service care. Details of the incident/accident will be recorded on an Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record.

If the incident/accident situation, or event presents imminent or severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of the child or if an ambulance was called in response to the emergency (not as a precaution) the regulatory authority will be notified within 24 hours. Educators will follow emergency procedures and contact emergency services if a child appears to be missing or unaccounted for or is involved in a serious incident or accident.
 

SOURCE 

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
ACECQA. (2021). Policy and procedure guidelines - Water Safety Guidelines 
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Standard. (2017). 
KidSafe (2021). Water Safety. kidsafe.com.au/water-safety/.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): nhmrc.gov.au.
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Victoria Government. Better Health Channel. Water safety for children.