Private Pool Fencing

Private Swimming Pool Safety Fencing

Introduction

Pools can be great fun but they have the potential to be a tragedy. Council has your safety in mind and wants you to enjoy your pool.

Drowning of young children can happen quickly and silently. When using a swimming pool, children should always be supervised. Young children should be taught to float and swim at the earliest possible age.

Queanbeyan City Council has been conducting a swimming pool safety inspection program since 1996. The purpose of the program is to carry out safety inspections on all domestic pools within the City to ensure fencing is provided around pools in accordance with state legislation.

Pool users should be aware that if there is a death or injury in a pool, legal liability may fall on the person responsible for the pool at the time, even if a safety fence is installed.

Does this relate to me?

Under the Swimming Pools Act 1992 the owner of a swimming pool has the responsibility to ensure that the pool is at all times surrounded by a complying child-resistant pool safety barrier.
Pool safety barriers must be maintained in a good state of repair as an effective and safe barrier restricting access to the pool.

What is pool safety?

Pool safety is a system of child-resistant barriers that restrict access to the pool area by children. Two factors are consistently identified with pool drownings and near drownings; access to the pool and adult supervision.

If access to the pool is restricted and maintained the child is more likely to be supervised as someone has to let the child into the pool area.

"It is a sad fact that for every drowning death victim there are three to four near drowning survivors and that over 22% of near drowning victims are left with severe or persisting consequences."
Samuel Morris Foundation Director, Michael Morris

Why is pool safety important?

With over 300,000 backyard swimming pools in NSW, swimming pool safety is a vital issue that affects the whole community. In NSW, private or ‘backyard’ swimming pool safety is legislated by the Swimming Pools Act 1992 and the Swimming Pools Regulation 2008.

Home swimming pools are the most dangerous aquatic location for children under five with swimming pools accounting for 60% of drownings in this age group. As such swimming pools have been recognised as a priority area in the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011.

If you own a pool or rent a property with a pool, you have a direct impact on pool safety. You are part of the Action Plan for Pool Safety.

What can I do?

• Check there are adequate pool safety barriers in place separating the pool from the residence, adjoining properties and the neighbourhood.
• Are these barriers compliant with current legislation?
• Ensure all of the pool safety barriers are maintained and operating eg check gates are self-closing and self-latching.
• Supervise children when using the swimming pool.
• Make sure pool gates are kept closed at all times.
• Keep articles, objects and structures at least 900mm clear of the pool fence at all times, eg chairs, pot plants.

Additional Information

The relevant legislative documents for pool safety are:
• Swimming Pools Act 1992
• Swimming Pools Regulations 2008
• Australian Standard AS1926.1-2007 (excluding clauses 2.8 and 2.10)
Copies of all of these documents can be found at Council's Environmental Service counter.

Information on water safety when around swimming pools and resuscitation:
• Fencing: www.safewaters.nsw.gov.au/fencepools.htm
• Safewaters Pool safety checklist
• Australian Resuscitation Council's Guideline 7 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• Pool safety tips from the Royal Life Saving Society Australia

 

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Additional information can be obtained from Council's Sustainability & Better Living Division on 02 6285 6000.