ONLY one in four Australians update their CPR or first aid training each year – a figure that has remained unchanged for more than a decade.
Despite growing awareness around safety, many families are still not equipped to respond when accidents happen at home, which is where most childhood injuries occur.
Water safety experts are urging parents and carers not to wait until it’s too late. With nearly half of all child hospitalisations caused by accidents in the home, the need to refresh lifesaving skills is more urgent than ever.
The most common causes of injury include falls (33%), contact with objects (20%), and transport-related incidents such as bicycle crashes (14%).
In response to this growing concern, Royal Life Saving and Kids Alive have relaunched The Heart Beat Club – a free online course that teaches CPR and first aid specifically for babies and young children.
The course is designed to be quick, accessible, and potentially lifesaving.
Royal Life Saving Society Senior Manager of Research, Media and Communications Lauren Nimmo said that while many parents understood the importance of CPR and first aid, they often did not act on this knowledge.
“Emergencies unfold in seconds, and without basic skills, parents can be left helpless in those critical first moments,” she said.
“The Heart Beat Club is designed to break down barriers – it’s free, takes just one hour, and could save a life.”
In 2024, 15 children under the age of five drowned, with 40 per cent of those incidents occurring in backyard pools and 27 per cent in bathtubs.
Kids Alive founder Laurie Lawrence said many parents did not realise how dangerous their own homes could be.
“Most people think drowning happens at the beach or on holidays – but the biggest danger for children is right at home,” he said.
“I’m talking pools, baths, buckets, blow-up pools, and dams. And when things go wrong, it’s usually a family member who needs to act fast.
“The only thing that can buy you time and improve the chances of survival is CPR.”
The Heart Beat Club is a self-paced online program aimed at parents. It covers essential skills such as CPR, choking, burns, scalds, shock, bleeding, and more.
Free access to the course is available throughout May – to register, visit heartbeatclub.org.au.
