Swimming pool barriers and safety requirements
What are the standards pools must meet?
The specific standards applied to pools will vary depending on when the pool was built or installed and whether the fence has been altered and when.
Find the specific requirements for your pool on the NSW Swimming Pool Register's website Pool inspection self-assessment checklists.
Below are some general requirements to note.
Child Resistant Barriers
Outdoor pools must be surrounded by a child-resistant barrier that separates the pool from any residential building situated on the premises and from any adjoining public or private properties.
Pools must be surrounded by a child-resistant barrier consisting of fencing of a height no less than 1.2 metres (1.8 metres if a boundary fence) and/or your house wall.
Access to and from residential buildings and waterfront within the property must be outside the pool enclosure and not thorough the pool area.
Subject to the provisions under the Swimming Pools Act, Regulation and BCA, the child-resistant barrier must be designed, constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with the Australian Standard AS1926.1.
General child-resistant barrier requirements are:
- Minimum height 1200mm (measured outside the pool area)
- Minimum 900mm separation between the upper and lower horizontal components to maintain a non-climbable zone.
- Maximum 100mm gap under the fence.
- Maximum 100mm gap in barrier components, allowing for any flex in the component material.
- Non-climbable zone extends from the barrier 300mm into pool area and 900mm outside pool area.
- Steps, retaining wall. level changes are to be 500mm from the barrier
- Landscaping, associated lighting and other fixtures or furniture are not to intrude into the non-climbable zone
- Boundary fence to be 1800mm in height (measured inside the pool area). See AS1926.1 for details.
Child Resistant Gates
- General pool child-resistant gates requirements:
- Gates must be self-closing and self-latching and must be closed at all times.
- Gates to open outwards from the pool area.
- The latch release being positioned a minimum 1.5 metres above ground level & 1.4 metres from highest lower horizontal barrier member.
- As an alternative to the above where sold panel (glass) or a shield is used the latch is positioned on the pool side near the top of the gate. The solid panel/ shield make it necessary to reach over the gate to reach the latch release mechanism. See AS1926.1 for more information
- Gate width is to be kept to a minimum (no more than 1 metre) to minimise the possibility of the weight of the gate causing the gate to drop with the self-latching mechanism failing. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching and must be closed at all times.
Always keep your barrier, gates and doors in good working condition. Doors and gates providing access to the pool area must be kept securely closed at all times when not in actual use.
More than a quarter of all drowning deaths among children in backyard swimming pools in NSW happen in inflatable or portable swimming pools. There are many more near drowning incidents that occur, some of which result in lifelong brain damage for the child.
It is estimated there are more than 100,000 inflatable or portable swimming pools in NSW, compared to over 340,000 permanent pools. (Source: Westmead Childrens Hospital - Inflatable & Portable Pool Safety)
What you need to do - Fencing
You must still, by law, have a four sided fence around any pool that is capable of being filled with water greater than 300mm (30 cm) in depth. Our child resistant Barriers and Gates section provides information for all owners about fencing requirements.
If you cannot afford to provide a fence around an inflatable/portable pool that is capable of being filled with water greater than 300mm in depth your only option is to purchase a smaller inflatable pool that is less than 300mm in height that you can easily empty and put away after each use.
Safety Tips
- Always empty the pool when it is not in use. You may wish to recycle the water for use in the garden or other areas around the home. Leaving water in the pool is not only a drowning risk but water left in the pool can become unclean and cause ill health.
- Always store the pool away from young children when it is not in use. Storing the pool upright will prevent small amounts of water being collected in the pool as a result of rain or nearby sprinklers.
The occupier of any Premises where a swimming pool/spa is situated must ensure that there is at all times maintained, in a prominent position in the immediate vicinity of the swimming pool, a resuscitation sign.
What should be on the sign?
The statement should include:
- Young children should be supervised when using the swimming pool
- Pool gates must be kept closed at all times
- Keep articles, objects and structures at least 900mm clear of the pool fence at all times.
Where should the sign be located?
The sign must be legible from a distance of at least 3 metres, maintained in a clearly legible condition and be within the immediate vicinity of the pool.
It is recommended that the Resuscitation Sign be displayed at the shallow portion of the pool near an open area within the pool enclosure as this is most likely the area where resuscitation would be carried out.
Where can I purchase a Resuscitation warning sign?
Resuscitation warning signs are available for purchase from Council for $20. Simply come into Council’s Customer Service Centre to purchase.
Learn more from this simple brochure on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)(PDF, 327KB)