Read our guide to creating a safe outdoor space for young children and babies, together with tips for wafer safety around kids and babies.  Don't forget that once you've made your environment as safe as possible, make sure that other carers follow your good practices.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide only.

Water & swimming pools

• remove areas where water can collect; a child can drown in as little as 5cms of water,  eg buckets, child's play pools, empty planters, toys, etc
• take care with fountains and ponds, install covers or guards
• never leave children alone around water
• pools should be fully enclosed with a well-maintained fence which meets current legislation in your state / territory
  
• the fence should have a well-maintained, self-closing, self-latching entry gate which should never be propped open
• make sure that a child couldn't climb the pool safety fence
• keep any furniture that a child could use to climb away from the pool fence
• supervise children at all times, especially near swimming pools
  
• know basic resuscitation & have a chart near the swimming pool to remind you

• Royal Life Saving Society Australia website
• Kids Alive website
• directory of local baby & infant learn to swim classes
• Help reduce drowning among children under the age of five by watching this video - Protect Your Pool, Protect Your Kids - to ensure that your pool fencing is safe and compliant with the legislation. The video was created by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, with assistance from The Samuel Morris Foundation and the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of NSW (SPASA NSW)
• Pool fencing laws for Queensland (new laws from Dec 2010)
  
  

• make sure that play areas are securely fenced off from driveways and street access
• keep the front door locked so that children can't let themselves out of the house and onto the street

• check your garden for poisonous plants
• protect your child against insects & wildlife (use barriers such as screens or pram covers or insect repellant lotions)
• The Queensland Poisons Information Centre website has information on poisonous plants and insects

• keep garden sheds, garages and laundries locked
• keep dangerous substances locked and out of reach
• if possible, buy substances in child resistant containers
• don't transfer substances to other containers, eg fizzy drink bottles
• treat laundry detergents as other hazardous substances
• keep garden tools, household tools and electrical tools out of reach

• erect a barrier around the barbeque to prevent children from getting near hot surfaces or playing with gas bottles
• keep items that children could use to climb to reach hot surfaces away from the barbeque when in use
• supervise children at all times around barbeques

• railings should be at least 1m high
• railings should be well maintained with no gaps and with vertical slats to deter climbing
• keep moveable items that children could use to climb away from railings

• see our sun safety article

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