The Nest offer 'Child Safe Play Areas'
Q.What is a child safe play area?
A. A child safe play area is a carefully planned, designated location which is securely fenced and helps to prevent a young child from gaining access to water without adult supervision. Pool fencing requirements, including appropriate ‘child resistant’ gates and latches, can be used as a guide in planning a safe play area.
Q.Why are child safe play areas useful?
A. Child safe play areas are particular effective for restricting a child’s access to water you cannot fence. Therefore they are effective on farms where dams are used for stock and cannot be isolated. They can also be used both outside and inside the house and assist parents in being able to actively
supervise children.
Q.Where can child safe play areas be used?
A. Child safe play areas have commonly been used on farms to prevent children from wandering into the farm environment or a farm dam without adult supervision. However, child safe play areas can also be used inside the home to keep children safe and prevent children from gaining access to the bathroom or other drowning hazards within the home.
Q.What are the features of an effective child safe play area?
A. A child safe play area should be securely fenced , without any water bodies or drowning hazards within it. It should contain children’s toys and equipment to ensure it is a fun place children like to play in. It should be easily observable by parents and carers and be regularly maintained to ensure it is always in good working order.
Q.How should the fence/gate on a child safe play area be constructed?
A. The fence of the child safe play area should be made of materials that are sturdy and are not easily climbable by children. There should be no gaps between the fence and the ground and be high enough to prevent children climbing over them. The gate to the child safe play area should be self-closing and self-latching and should never be propped open under any circumstances.
Child Safe Play Area Checklist:
- The areas is securely fenced
- The area is regularly maintained
- The area is placed close to the home or inside the home
- Children are easily supervised when in Child Safe Play Area
- Not easily climbable
- Has a self-closing, self-latching gate
- No gaps under or through the fence
Credit: http://www.lifesavingvictoria.com.au/resources/documents/Fact_Sheet_No._6_Child_Safe_Play_Areas.pdf
