The pool safety certificate checklist that saves you time and money.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a pool safety certificate checklist that could help you see if your pool was compliant with the major QLD pool safety laws, before paying a pool inspector to do an inspection?

It’s a fact, the chances that your pool doesn’t comply is very likely. Especially if you own an older property. But, if you check our pool safety certificate checklist before we do your inspection, you can potentially avoid a non-conformity notice. Not only that but you could save yourself the cost of getting a re-inspection!

Since a pool inspection can cost anywhere between $85 and $150, it can be frustrating and expensive for many property owners to haul out the cash twice to get a pool safety certificate.

So, how do we help you save time and money before you get us out for your inspection?

Simple.

Our pool safety experts have put together this easy to understand pool safety certificate checklist for Qld property owners that need a valid pool safety certificate. Because we can check up to 100 different safety points, this is just a guide with some of the more important points that get checked. At a glance, you can see if your pool likely complies with some of the more important pool safety laws and if you will be able to obtain your pool safety certificate with minimum hassle or if there is work to be done.

However, before we give you the full pool safety checklist, it’s essential to understand why Queensland has created the pool safety laws.

The pool safety regulations are there to prevent young children from gaining access to swimming pools and spas. This checklist is based on Qld pool safety laws. Other states may have different rules.

In the last 25 years, 965 children under the age of five drowned in Australia. That’s an average of 40 per year!

Even with the pool safety laws in place, there is still work to be done to ensure the safety of young children around the pool area. That’s why, doing your part by checking if your pool complies and getting a pool inspector to inspect your pool, helps bring the statistics down.

The pool safety standard covers crucial sections like the height and durability of fences and barriers. The rule also includes non-climbable zones, gates and their latching requirements and preventing direct access from a building into a pool area.

More importantly, this pool safety checklist is a guide only and not an approval or acknowledgment of compliance. That’s why we always recommend that you engage a licensed pool safety inspector to inspect to confirm that your pool is compliant. Also, so that you have a valid pool safety certificate.

At Poolinspec, we check up to 100 regulations to make your pool safe. That’s why it’s always advisable, to get a professional to do your inspection.

Without further delay, here is the swimming pool safety checklist that will help you assess your pool safety.

Check your fence or barrier around the pool.

• The height of your barrier must be at least 1200mm high from the finished ground level. The finished ground level must be a permanent, stable surface.
• The gap between the bottom of the fence and the finished ground level must not exceed 100mm.
• The gap between the vertical bars of the fence must not exceed 100mm.
• The horizontal rails of the fence must be at least 900mm apart.
• All screws, nails and fixings must be secure.
• Posts must be structurally sound to withstand a pushover test.
• All infill panels must be in place.
• There must not be protrusions or indentations exceeding 10mm that could be used as a toe hold for climbing.
• 1800mm high fences require a 900mm non-climbable zone from the top of the fence, on at least once side of the fence.
• Balustrades on balconies within 900mm of the pool barrier, need to be 1200mm high.

Check your pool gate.

• The pool gate must always open away from the pool area.
• Gate latches must be on the inside of the pool area and at least 150mm down from the top of the gate.
• Gate latches on the outside must be a minimum of 1500mm from the ground, and at least 1400mm above the top of the highest lower horizontal member.
• The pool gate must close and latch by itself from all positions.
• Gate hinges must be minimum 900mm apart.

Check the area around the swimming pool fence.

• Remove all climbable objects (branches, pot plants, furniture, etc.) from the 900mm non-climbable zone. See below diagram indicating this regulation:

pool safety checklist climbable objects around pool barriers

Doors and windows.

• There must be no direct access through a door from the house to the pool area. Child-resistant door sets are no longer compliant for outdoor pools.
• Windows must not open more than 100mm if there is access to the pool area. Alternatively, they can be security screened.

Here’s a downloadable Pool safety certificate checklist that you can print and use while inspecting your pool fence.

Since publication in 2010, Queensland property owners were given until 2015 to comply with the pool safety laws. Some pool owners think that you had to get a pool safety certificate by 2015, but, if you aren’t buying, selling or leasing a property with a pool, then you don’t need a pool safety certificate. However, you still need to make sure that your pool complies.

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

If you don’t comply with pool safety standards, local governments can issue on-the-spot fines. Recent non-compliance penalties have seen fines of up to $6000!

If, after reading through this pool safety checklist, you’re still not sure if your pool complies, Poolinspec can offer you a pool safety consultation. Quite simply, what happens at this consultation is the following:

• We will show you if any areas need attention or repairs.
• The consultation is not a formal inspection, so, if your pool doesn’t comply, you won’t get a non-conformity notice.
• You can take your time to do the necessary repairs, and you don’t have to comply within 90 days.

However, it is essential to note that as the pool owner, you are responsible for the safety of the pool and non-compliance could result in an injury or worse, a fatal drowning.

Not only that, but you could be facing a hefty fine of up to $6000 from the QBCC.

That’s why it’s better to get your pool safe and compliant, sooner rather than later.

To find out more on how Poolinspec can help you get your pool safe and compliant, call us on 045 756 6563.

PS: Poolinspec specialises in pool safety inspections, and we don’t offer pool fence repairs or alterations, so you can trust that our work is unbiased and accurate, every time. If in the event you need repairs or alterations done, we can refer you to a reputable pool safety fence contractor that will get your repairs done without delay.