If you have an indoor or outdoor pool in NSW, you are required to abide by safety pool regulation. It is important for pool owners to understand this legislation in order to have a safe and secured swimming pool.
The pool fence regulation NSW requires pool owners to install child-resistant fence to help minimise possible accidents around the pool area. Obeying this law also prevent you from paying expensive penalties. If you fail to meet the requirements, pool users especially small kids may be at risk.
Installing compliant barriers is an effective way of protecting young children from entering the pool without adult supervision. Pool incidents such as possible injuries and even deaths in swimming pools are prevented.
To guide you further, here are the answers to the most common pool fence compliance questions.
1. What is the main reason for pool deaths?
Drowning, which results to accidental death in the pool is common nowadays especially for young children under 5 years of age. This is because non-compliant pool barriers enable kids from accessing the pool easily. Moreover, a lack of swimming skills can endanger an unsupervised child.
With over 300,000 indoor swimming pools in NSW, pool safety is an important matter in the society today. In order to reduce accidents in the pool, you should follow NSW safety pool regulations closely.
2. What are the regulations for pool gates?
Swimming Pools Act 1992 in NSW states that pool fence must be installed around pools to increase the safety for your children. A proper child-resistant barrier is required to ensure pool safety.
To be safe and compliant, your pool gate should follow these guidelines:
- Pool gates must be self-closing and can latch by itself from any position.
- Gate latch should be secured. It must work well so that when the gate closes, it will not open easily.
- Gates must open away from the pool area (outwards).
- Latching device should be 1500 mm above ground level.
The purpose of the pool fence is to avoid possible injuries in the pool. Furthermore, the regulation has a minimum height requirement for the pool fence to effectively prevent kids from climbing on it.
3. What is the height requirement for a pool barrier?
Pool owners must make sure that their fence meets the safety pool regulation. This is to stop children from having direct access to the pool. Small kids can get in between gaps or under a fence. They can also be capable of climbing over the fence.
With that, your pool fence must meet these standards:
- Fence should be at least 1.2 m high
- There must be no gap at the bottom of the fence (not larger than 10 cm from the ground level)
- Gaps more than 10 cm between any vertical bars of the fence are not permitted.
- Horizontal climbable bars on the fence must be at least 90 cm apart.
Following the required pool fence height is essential to ensure that children cannot easily get into the pool area. The compliant pool fence also makes it difficult for children to enter the pool.
4. What is the legal location of the fence around a pool?
The Swimming Pool Act 1992 states that pool owners can decide where the required pool barrier is to be located. However, before the pool owners choose the location of their pool fence, they should first check with their local Council. There is also a restriction for your window. Read on below.
5. What are the window restrictions and requirement near a pool?
You must install a locking device for your window so it will be difficult for children to open the window. You can also have security screens that can be adjusted to be opened for no more than 10cm.
Security screens and locking devices are available from your local hardware store. You can also seek advices from a private certifier or local council.
6. What warning sign should be displayed in pool area?
Pool owners must put a CPR Sign in the pool area. It must be located in a place where it can be seen easily. All signs should be able to be read from a distance of 3 metres.
Moreover, there must be an appropriate warning sign, including details of resuscitation (CPR) techniques, providing life-saving instructions in the event of an emergency.
Conclusion
Pool owners are responsible to install pool fence that is compliant with pool safety regulation NSW. Following this law can keep children safe around the pool area. It also reduces the risk of children drowning in the pool. Additionally, adult supervision is essential to keep children safe at all times.