Does your property comply with pool safety legislation?

In 2009, the Queensland Government introduced new legislation to increase pool safety and prevent avoidable deaths. These laws specified that all pools, new and existing, must comply with the new legislation by 1 December, 2015.

Almost one year on and these laws have had little impact, with the Royal Life Saving Foundation’s latest National Drowning Report finding 21 Australian children under the age of four drowned last year, 11 of them in pools.

With summer officially started and the swimming pool becoming more inviting, it’s integral that pool safety and compliance remains front of mind for property owners.

As required by legislation, all swimming pools must be enclosed by an approved barrier. It is the responsibility of the property owner (bodies corporate included) to ensure that compliant pool barriers are in place at all times.

If you own a house and it is rented out, your tenants are responsible for ensuring pool gates remain shut and that branches or objects do not hang over the fence. In the case of a unit, it is the body corporate’s responsibility.

Neglecting to abide by these laws could lead to a tragedy at your property. If you have concerns regarding the fencing, locking, or maintenance of your pool, contact your body corporate management company immediately.

See below some top tips to ensure this summer is not only the best yet, but the safest.

• Supervision: Do not let people, particularly children, swim unsupervised. Deaths were largely unsupervised from 3 – 10 minutes
• Fencing: Ensure barriers are sturdy and tall. In a number of instance, the pool fencing was faulty
• Gates: Ensure you have self-closing, self-latching gates. Some children were given access to the pool through a propped open gate
• First aid: Know how to resuscitate and administer first aid. Parents were the most common first responders and initiators of CPR
• Education: Ensure children know about water awareness, there are classes available in each state.

This article was contributed by Ben Parry. Ben joined the Archers team in 2016 as the Compliance Manager and has extensive experience in Workplace Health & Safety, Fire Safety Compliance and Construction.