BOATING SAFETY

It’s important to educate children on how to stay safe when boating. Teaching them safe boating practices including wearing a lifejacket, knowing the safety equipment and how to navigate safely will ensure they are prepared and have an enjoyable time on the water.

When taking your children out on your vessel:

• Make sure they have a lifejacket and wear it at all times.

• Show them where all the safety equipment is, including how to use items such as the radio, EPIRB and flares in case of an emergency.

• Teach them about keeping a proper lookout and maintaining a safe speed and distance from other vessels and people in the water.

• Educate them about keeping all parts of their body inside the vessel when underway.

Wear a Lifejacket

Lifejackets are the most important item of safety equipment on any recreational vessel. Wearing a lifejacket can save your life and it’s recommended that you wear one at all times.

Everyone on board must have access to a lifejacket that is the correct size and in good working order. Everyone must wear a lifejacket:

• on all powerboats and sailing boats up to 4.8m long at all times in open areas of all powerboats and sailing boats up to 8m long when the vessel is underway.

• On vessels up to 4.8m long at night, when boating alone (including with a child aged under 12), and when boating on alpine and open waters.

• On Personal Watercraft (PWC)

• When being towed by a vessel

• On canoes and kayaks at night, when boating alone (including with a child aged under 12), and when boating on alpine and open waters. Everyone must wear a lifejacket:

• on all vessels up to 4.8m long at all times

• in open areas of all vessels up to 8m long when the vessel is underway.

Children aged 12 years and over must follow the same rules for wearing a lifejacket as adults, although its strongly recommended they wear one at all times.

Safe and Responsible Boating

As the skipper, it’s your responsibility to keep everyone safe. Take the time to plan for your trip, be prepared and know the conditions and your limits, and use good judgement to predict changes such as the weather while out on the water.

Be aware that the conditions can change while you are out on the water, so ensure that you know the position of children and their movements on board the vessel at all times.

For more information on lifejackets, boating safely, and boating safely with children, contact Transport for NSW on 13 12 36 or visit nsw.gov.au/drivingboating-and-transport/boating-and-marine and lifejacketwearit.com.au.

Learn more about wearing a lifejacket

Learn more about skateboards, foot scooters and rollerblade safety

OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE SAFETY

Off road motorcycles are 2-wheeled vehicles that require the user to shift their body weight while riding. People do not need a licence to ride them as long as they are not on public roads. Off-road motorcycles are popular for sports and recreation but also farm use as well.

How may a child be injured?

Injuries occur in a variety of settings (e.g. at home, on farms, in recreational areas and at Motocross competitions). Children sustain injuries from collisions, rollovers, falls and from jumps. Children may collide with objects and other riders, causing injuries to themselves and others. Loss of control is the most common cause of injury. This is because children aged less than 10 years lack hazard perception and the ability to control speed.

Falls

• Falls may result in severe fractures, abdominal, head and chest injuries.

Cuts and bruises

• Children may sustain cuts and bruises, particularly when they are not wearing full body protective clothing.

Strangulation

• Children may suffer strangulation if riding under a clothesline or fence. This injury occurs during times of poor visibility or if terrain is uneven.

Struck by object

• Children may collide with objects and other riders, causing injury to themselves and others.

• Children may be injured when the motorcycle tips over and falls on them.

In NSW between 2003 and 2012 there were 13 deaths of children aged 0-17 from off-road motorcycles, otherwise know as “dirt bikes”.

The likelihood of serious injuries rapidly increases when riders start doing jumps. Children injured from jumps suffer more severe injuries.

Is there a Law or an Australian Standard for offroad motorcycles?

Riders of motorcycles on NSW roads must be at least 16 years and nine months and obtain a rider licence by completing a training course and knowledge test. However there are no requirements to use motorcycles off-road on private property. Significant fines apply for riding off-road motorcycles on public land, which includes State Forests and National Parks.

SKATEBOARDS, FOOT SCOOTERS AND ROLLERBLADES

The law

A pedestrian includes “a person in or on a wheeled recreational device or wheeled toy”. This includes rollerblades, a skateboard, scooter, unicycle or similar wheeled device:

• Foot scooters, skateboards and rollerblades may be ridden on footpaths unless signs specifically prohibit them, however, riders must keep to the left and give way to other pedestrians

• Powered foot scooters cannot be registered and can only be used on private land

• On separated bicycle and pedestrian paths, foot scooter, skateboard and rollerblade riders must use the section designated for bicycles, but must keep out of the path of any bicycle

• Foot scooters, skateboards and rollerblades can only be used on the road during daylight hours

• They cannot be used on roads with a dividing line or median strip or a speed limit greater than 50km/h, or a one-way road with more than one marked lane

Safety advice

• On the footpath, riders of foot scooters, skateboards or rollerblades should not threaten pedestrians, especially the elderly – they may need to slow down or dismount in busy areas

• To improve safety and enjoyment, foot scooters, skateboards and rollerblades are best ridden in recreational areas designated for their use

• Foot scooter, skateboard and rollerblade riders should wear helmets and protective gear such as knee and elbow pads

Kids On Farms

Tips to help keep kidssafe on farms environment. Dangers come especially from farm machinery, chemicals, water and animals.

Play Safety

Farms provide a wonderful environment for children to grown up in and to visit. However, they are working environments and there can be many dangers and hazards for children. These safety tips are aimed at reducing injuries so that farms continue to be great places to live, learn and have fun.

Vehicle Safety

Vehicles and machinery are an essential part of farm life. Unfortunately they are also a leading cause of injury.

Farm Water Safety

• Children should not ride on tractors or in the back of utes.

• Children should not ride quad bikes or be carried as passengers on quad bikes.

• Always supervise children when vehicles are being moved. Hold hands with young children.

• Ensure all children are appropriately and correctly restrained when travelling in vehicles on the farm.

• Take keys out of vehicles and machinery when not in use and put out of reach of children.

• Always ensure children wear helmets and other protective equipment when riding bikes.

• Check that the bike is suited to the child’s size and ability.

Q. Where do toddlers commonly drown on farms?

Watch a video on Farm Safety for Kids

Learn more about Keeping Kids Safe on Farms

A. The most common location for toddler drowning deaths on farms are dams. However, the farm environment has a range of other water locations including dams, troughs, irrigation channels, water tanks and swimming pools.

Q. How many children drown on farms?

A. On average 4 children under the age of five drown in farm dams every year and there are approximately 3 hospitalisations for every drowning death.

Q. How do I keep my child safe?

A. In rural areas, it is not always feasible to fence off large water bodies such as lakes or dams, so Royal Life Saving suggests parents create a Child Safe Play Area. Royal Life Saving has also developed the Keep Watch @ The Farm program which provides information and useful resources to improve parent/carer awareness of drowning prevention strategies on farms.

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 entering the farm 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. For more information visit www.keepwatch.com. au for Fact Sheet No. 6 Child Safe Play Areas.

Q. Why do parents leave their children unsupervised?

A. There are many reasons why a parent’s attention can be diverted from their child. Busy lifestyles, phone calls, visitors, preparing meals and other siblings are just some of the things which demand attention. The Keep Watch program advocates for supervision to be supported by fenced Child Safe Play Areas, water awareness and resuscitation skills.. been educating Australian parents and carers on how to keep their children safe when in, on, or around the water in a variety of locations. We are now tailoring the approach to locations with specific hazards – like those found on a farm.

For more information you can also visit: farmsafe.org.au