The ultimate in luxury is having your own below-ground swimming pool in the yard, so you and your family can take a dip whenever you feel like it. There is no better solution to a hot and clammy summer day than diving into a pool and if you are planning to invest in a pool, you have come to the right place, as we take a detailed look at pool safety legislation from the NSW State government.
Pool Barrier
Of course, every pool must have a perimeter fence that covers the entire area; the best solution is aluminium slat fencing from a leading Australian supplier. The fencing must be at least 1200mm high from ground level and any gap between the ground and the fence cannot exceed 100mm. Any vertical gap must not exceed 100mm while horizontal bars need to be at least 900mm. This ensures that a child cannot enter the pool area and the great thing about aluminium slats is you can see into the pool area at all times.
Pool Gate
The gate must be self-closing from any position; you cannot ‘prop’ open the gate under any circumstances, for obvious reasons. The latch must be at least 1500mm from the ground to prevent a young child from reaching it and the gate must open outwards. Any windows/vents must not open more than 100mm and should be lockable.
No-Climb Zone
There must be an open area around the pool fencing that does not contain any items, natural or man-made. This includes trees, shrubs, potted plants, furniture or any item that could be used as a climbing aid. When you are ready, make a booking online with state officials and arrange for a certified pool examiner to visit you at home and if all is as it should be, a pool safety compliance certificate is issued, which is valid for 3 years and is transferrable to a new owner. This zone should equal a 900mm arc from the back of the pool and nothing can be placed in this zone.
CPR Sign
There should be a sign that shows how to perform CPR and this should be legible from every angle inside the pool area. Your pool fencing supplier would stock such signs and they can attach it when they install the fencing; the installation team know the rules and regulations and they would inform you if something wasn’t right.
Inside the pool area
The only items allowed in the pool area are pool maintenance tools and permanent slides; there can be no furniture or BBQ within the pool area. The fencing contractor would be happy to give you a free pool safety assessment and if all is good, you can contact state officials and book an inspection.
To summarise, every property with a pool must have a pool safety compliance certificate and should the pool fail the inspection, you are given 90 days to make changes and you are issued with a non-compliance notice.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photography-of-pool-near-fence-261410/
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