It is the responsibility of the builder to maintain this fence until they issue the final occupancy certificate, after which the owner is responsible. Because pools under construction may still hold water or pose a fall risk, they must have a compliant barrier in place. Responsibility for a pool under construction lies with the owner and the builder at different stages of the process. Pools Under Construction: Do Pool Fence Regulations Apply? This side of the fence must also be clear of climbing aids, especially ones which could be pulled through the fence. There is also an internal non-climbable zone that runs 300mm into the pool area. This zone must not contain anything that could be used to assist climbing, such as trees, chairs, ladders etc. The non-climbable zone is a perimeter of 900mm around the pool fence that prevents it from being climbed. While this is illegal for new builds, it may be compliant for existing homes providing any windows or doors leading to the pool areas cannot be opened. Some older pools have walls of the home that act as barriers. With that said, a pool perimeter doesn’t necessarily have to be a fence. Pool fences must be made of durable, approved materials. It also means children can’t accidentally lean on the gate and fall into the pool area. This prevents accidentally forgetting to lock or close the gate. In addition to this, they must open away from the direction of the pool. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch being on the pool side of the gate. If the horizontal rails are less than 900mm apart, the vertical rails cannot be more than 10mm wide. If the horizontal rails of a fence are more than 900mm wide, the vertical rails cannot be more than 100mm apart. If the fence complies with these two heights, it shouldn’t be possible for young children to climb over or under it. The fence must also be less than 100mm off the ground. The minimum legal fence height for pools is 1200mm, or 1.2m. For information regarding your particular state, see the resources at the end of the article. This is a guide to general Australian pool fencing requirements. Important note: precise regulations can differ between states. To protect your children from drowning, and yourself from legal ramifications, here is a comprehensive list of Australia’s pool fence regulations. While the law can be different depending on the state, as of 2019 non-compliant pool barriers carry an approximate penalty of $5000.įurthermore, if a person dies or is injured due to an unsecured pool area, you could be liable and face much more significant charges, including jail time. Consequences for Not Complying Pool Fence RegulationsĪside from putting your children at risk, not complying with pool fence regulations also carries legal penalties. Since their introduction and constant evolution, pool drowning deaths continue to decrease. These regulations are all designed to prevent people (specifically children) from unintentionally drowning. Essentially, they regulate things like legal fence height, the gap width between fence rails and the types of gates that can be installed. Mandatory pool fence regulations were first introduced in 1990, and have continued to become more specific ever since. To make sure your pool is compliant with pool fencing requirements, here is a complete guide to pool fence regulations. Pool fence regulations almost entirely eliminate the risk of accidental drowning – provided they are followed. This makes pools one of the biggest causes of accidental infant deaths in the country. Accidental pool drownings tragically claim the lives of 10 children on average each year. Australians love a nice, refreshing dip in the pool! There’s no better way to cool off during the summer months.īut without proper care, pools can be dangerous.
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