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December 2021

pools-and-safety

Does Your Pool Comply With The Safety Standards?

By | Pool Safety

The pool safety standard covers such things as the height and strength of barriers, mandatory non-climbable zones, gates, and their latching requirements, and preventing direct access from a building into a pool area.

To assist in finding out if your pool meets the current pool safety standard, use the checklist below as it covers some of the main issues:  For any other questions please contact pool safety inspections brisbane 

Fences

  • The minimum height from finished ground level (a permanent stable surface) to the top of the barrier is 1200mm.
  • The maximum allowable gap from finished ground level to the bottom of any barrier is 100mm.
  • There must be one gap of at least 900mm between any horizontal rails on the outside, and the gaps in the vertical members must not exceed 100mm at any point.
  • If there is no gap between horizontal rails of at least 900mm, then the horizontal rails must be on the inside and the gaps in the vertical rails must not exceed 10mm.
  • For fences less than 1800mm high, climbable objects must be at least 900mm away from the pool barrier on the outside and, where the verticals are more than 10mm apart, 300mm on the inside.
  • For fences at least 1800mm high, the 900mm non-climbable zone may be on the inside of the fence and must be measured from the top of the inside.  This could be useful for a boundary fence, for example, where it is difficult to make the non climbable zone outside the fence . Make sure that there is nothing underneath this zone that a child could jump on to, which would reduce the effective height of the fence from the minimum 1800mm

 

Diagram of the distance for climbable objects and pool barriers

Gates

  • Pool gates must not open inwards to the pool area and must be self-closing and self-latching from all positions.
  • Latches on the gate must be at least 1500mm high from finished ground level (a permanent stable surface) and at least 1400mm above the highest lower horizontal member. If not, the latch must be located inside so that it is necessary to reach over or through the fencing at a height of not less than 1200mm above finished ground level or at least 1000mm above the top part of the highest lower horizontal member. It must also be 150mm below the top of the gate or the edge of any hand hole opening and, if necessary, covered with a 450mm radius shield with no openings greater than 10mm
  • Pool gate hinges thicker than 10mm must be at least 900mm apart or the lower hinge must have a non-climbable (at least a sixty degree) safety cap fixed to prevent climbing.

 

Diagram of a pool barrier showing heights

 

Diagram showing the dimensions for pool barrier latches

 

Door and windows

  • There can be no direct access through a door from the house or another building to the pool area.
  • Generally, any windows opening onto the pool area must not open more than 100mm or must have a security screen fitted.

Signage

  • A compliant CPR sign must be displayed, either attached to the pool fence or displayed near the pool so that the sign is easily visible to anyone near the pool.

More information

If in doubt, contact us for advice and assistance.

https://totalpoolsafetyinspectionsbrisbane.business.site/

Penalties for non-compliance

Local governments have the power to investigate compliance with pool safety standards and can issue fines.

If you don’t comply with pool safety standards, local governments can issue on-the-spot fines.

If you fail to register your pool, QBCC can issue penalties which include on-the-spot fines and the court can impose penalties.

For more information visit https://totalpoolsafetyinspections.com.au/pool-inspections-brisbane/

This article was originally published on https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-building-owners/pool-safety/does-your-pool-comply

 

 

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