Checklist for a safe swimming pool
Safe Swimming Pool Inspection Checklist
The NSW Swimming Pool Act mandates that homeowners in NSW and Sydney suburbs must have their swimming pools inspected for safety when selling or leasing their property. The pool barrier compliance certificate is valid for 3 years before it needs to be re-inspected to ensure compliance and safety.
- Regularly inspect your pool fence for any damage or wear and tear.
- Ensure that your pool fence meets the minimum height requirement and has no climbable objects within a 900mm radius.
- Ensure that there are no gaps larger than 10cm between vertical elements and no gaps larger than 90cm between horizontal elements in your pool fence.
- Install a self-closing and self-latching gate that is properly maintained.
- Have a phone installed poolside for emergency use.
Old swimming pools need to be inspected to ensure that it complies with the NSW Swimming Pool Act
Pool owners require inspections to ensure that the pool complies with swimming pool regulations and AS1926.1 Australian Standards, ultimately aiming to guarantee the safety of occupants and the public. Without proper inspections, an unsafe swimming pool could lead to devastating consequences in the event of a drowning incident.
Pool Fence Inspections
When a drowning occurs, coroners conduct a thorough investigation of the pool fence and safety regulations to determine compliance. If the pool is found to be non-compliant, the owner may be held responsible for negligence and face potential damages and consequences.
Swimming Pool Fencing or Pool Barrier – A Pool Safety Requirement in New South Wales
Pool fence inspections, whether conducted by your local council or a Pool Inspector with an E1 qualification, focus on ensuring pool safety and compliance. A qualified inspector can provide detailed reasons for non-compliance and suggest ways to bring the pool barrier up to standard.
Pool Safety Inspectors and Certifiers NSW
At Clear View Property Inspections, we will specify the Australian Standard utilized for your pool and explain why the swimming pool did not meet regulations. We will outline the requirements for pool fencing and recommend the most suitable method to achieve compliance. Our swimming pool inspectors will thoroughly examine all aspects of the pool fencing, including any boundary fence that is part of the swimming pool enclosure. Some of the key items that will be assessed for compliance are the pool gates, boundary fence, and non-climb zones among others. A simple yet crucial self-check you can perform to ensure safety is testing your gate as a part of regular pool inspections.
Pool Gates Safety Compliance
In a recent study conducted in Australia, it was discovered that government inspections significantly increased compliance with pool fencing laws from around 50% to 97%. Another Australian study showed that the number of private swimming pool drowning deaths decreased by half within 5 years after implementing legislation to enhance pool fencing effectiveness. Children’s ability to climb fences varies depending on the type of fence.
From a study in Australia, it was found necessary for regular inspection of pool fencing. Only 45% of swimming pools were compliant with the legislation initially, but over an eight-year period, 71% achieved compliance after undergoing three inspections. A prior survey focused on New South Wales local councils and aimed at determining residential swimming pools per local government area and their adherence to existing legislation. The updated research sought information about routine swimming pool inspections conducted by local councils and barriers encountered when enforcing pool fencing legislation.
A sample inspection in NSW during the year 1995 revealed low rates of compliance among both registered and unregistered pools. Recent inspections done across three local government areas indicated varying levels of Act compliance based on each council’s commitment to an inspection process. Evidence from Australia suggests variable enforcement where there is no legal requirement for ensuring continued compliance with swimming pool regulations. While New Zealand requires registration through building consent processes
Pool barrier certification by licensed pool certifier
Non-Climb Zone
The requirement for pool compliance includes a non-climb zone, which means that no part of the fence should be usable as a climbing object. This entails ensuring there are no objects within 900mm horizontally that can be used for climbing and that there are no indentations or protrusions larger than 10mm.
Another simple check is to ensure no furniture, such as chairs, is placed against the pool fence, as they can be easily used by children to climb over it.
Compliance with pool fencing regulations goes beyond just preventing access to the pool, as the boundary fence also plays a crucial role.
According to the current AS1926.1 Australian Standard, the boundary fence must have a minimum height of 1.8m from the inside of the pool side, measured from your property’s side of the pool. It is essential for this requirement to be met in order to address liability and responsibilities effectively.
There also needs to be nothing that can be climbed from the top of the boundary fence down to a 900mm quadrant. This ensures that if a child climbs the fence on their side and attempts to climb over to your side, there will be no hand or foot holds for them to use in getting down into your pool area.
Clear View Pool Safety Inspector and Certifier
Ensuring pool fence compliance through inspections is crucial for the safety of your family, neighbors, and the public. We offer free phone consultations and licensed inspectors to assist with swimming pool inspections in Sydney. Additionally, we can help design a new pool fence to meet compliance standards.
