Drowning and Near‐drowning in the Australian Capital Territory a Five‐year Total Population Study of Immersion Accidents

Thompson, Jack

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1977.tb130564.x

Cited by 32 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…A decade has passed since the Journal published a study by the late Dr Ian Mackie 1 describing the patterns of drowning in Australia for the period 1992-1997. That study and earlier research [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] led to the development of the first National Water Safety Plan, 11 published in 1998 by the then newly formed Australian Water Safety Council. The current Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011 (AWSS) was published in 2008 and advocates that unintentional drowning fatalities in Australia can be further reduced by 50% by the year 2020.…”

Section: R Esearchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing drowning deaths: the continued challenge of immersion fatalities in Australia

Franklin¹,

Scarr²,

Pearn

2010

Medical Journal of Australia

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Objective: To explore 5 years of drowning deaths in Australia compared with a previous Australian study a decade earlier, and to assess the feasibility of achieving a 50% reduction in unintentional drowning deaths by 2020. Design and setting: An audit of all unintentional drowning deaths in Australia using data from the National Coroners Information System for 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2007. Main outcome measures: Number and rate of drowning deaths, by age, sex, location, activity, place of birth, visitor status, and involvement of alcohol or drugs. Results: There were 1452 drowning deaths during the study period (76.4% male). The age‐adjusted rate per 100 000 people ranged from 1.61 in 2002–03 to 1.23 in 2006–07. Children aged 0–4 years had the highest rate (2.63 per 100 000 people), and 29% of deaths were of people aged 55 years or older. Over half of all deaths occurred in rivers (20.3%), at beaches (18.3%), or in swimming pools (13.3%). Alcohol was involved in 21.6% of all drowning deaths, although this varied by age. Conclusions: This audit suggests that a 50% reduction in drowning fatalities by 2020 may be achievable using current knowledge and preventive systems in certain types of immersions. However, further research and new initiatives will be required, particularly to prevent drowning deaths in rivers and of older people.

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Section: R Esearchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing drowning deaths: the continued challenge of immersion fatalities in Australia

Franklin¹,

Scarr²,

Pearn

2010

Medical Journal of Australia

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“…It may be that co-ordination in climbing skills, and the differing mean weights of boys, are important. The very dramatic sex differences observed in child drownings (Pearn et a/., 1977); Pearn and Thompson, 1977) must therefore have their genesis in factors other than the ability to physically negotiate the safety barrier or fence. It is known, in other contexts, that aggressive curiosity and a sense of adventurousness is a prime determinant of child accidents in the toddler group .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To this end, the less obtrusive safety devices and the greater the likelihood that a community will institute them. Although some centres have instituted safety legislation to protect Australian children (with salutary reduction of child trauma in some instances) (Pearn and Thompson, 1977;Vimpani et a/., 1979) others have made elective decisions not to do so. We have thus felt that an ergonomic study of child safety barriers would define minimal requirements that were nevertheless effective, yet which might find better community acceptance.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Childproof Safety Barriers An ergonomic study to reduce child trauma due to environmental hazards

Nixon

Pearn

Petrie

1979

J Paediatrics Child Health

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Nixon, J. W., Pearn, J. H. and Petrie, G. M. (1979). Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 260–262 Childproof safety barriers. An ergonomic study to reduce child trauma due to environmental hazards. Trauma is the biggest killer of young children in Australia. An ergonomic study has been undertaken to test the ability of 500 Australian children to pass safety fences of various heights. Eighty per cent of 2 year olds, the modal age for child drowning, cannot climb a 60 cm (2 ft) fence. Twenty percent of 3 year olds can climb a 1.2 (4 ft) barrier. Cumulative frequency curves for the ability to climb safety barriers, by age. are presented. The Median age for negotiating a 1.4 m (4 ft 6 in) safety fence is 4 years. It takes on average only 12 seconds for a five year old to climb a 1.2 m safety fence and 17 seconds to climb a 1.4 m barrier. Predictions for the reduction in child trauma are given, if safety legislation were introduced to cope with modern environmental hazards. If a 90 cm barrier protects an enviromental hazard, child trauma will be reduced by 65%, and by 75% if a 1.4 m barrier is used. Specifications for compulsory safety devices vary from region to region, but public acceptance demands a minimum of interference with both physical freedom and with aesthetics.

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“…A study of 340 childhood drownings in Sweden (Thorson et a/., 1970) showed that in no instance was there an adequate safety barrier or fence present. A Canberra study (Pearn and Thompson, 1977) indicated that the provision of effective safety barriers would reduce the drowning rate by at least a factor of five. Donald (1955) has compared drownings in fresh water to those in salt water.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Domestic Swimming Pool Drowning in Children Positive Results of a Practical Prevention Program

Lawson

Oliver

1978

J Paediatr Child Health

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Drowning in private freshwater swimming pools is a common cause of death among children in New South Wales. A review of drownings in private pools in the Sydney metropolitan area indicated the vital importance of separate adequate fencing around the pool as a basic safety measure. A public education campaign based on information from this survey appears to have substantially reduced the incidence of deaths by drowning in Sydney domestic swimming pools.

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Drowning and Near‐drowning in the Australian Capital Territory a Five‐year Total Population Study of Immersion Accidents

Cited by 32 publications

References 8 publications

Reducing drowning deaths: the continued challenge of immersion fatalities in Australia

Reducing drowning deaths: the continued challenge of immersion fatalities in Australia

Childproof Safety Barriers An ergonomic study to reduce child trauma due to environmental hazards

Domestic Swimming Pool Drowning in Children Positive Results of a Practical Prevention Program

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