4 Things You Need to Know About Swimming Pool Compliance

Changes to safety law have meant that owners of swimming pools in NSW have had to ensure they are compliant with local legislation. Whether you’re leasing a house with a pool or are planning on renting out or selling your home with a pool in the back yard, or you have kids and are worried about safety, you’ll need a certificate of compliance. Here are some things you should know about swimming pool compliance and changes you may need to make.

1. A lot of pools fail the first-time round

While you may think your pool is perfectly safe, there are many different issues that can lead to a pool being non-compliant. In fact, some figures suggest that as many as 95% of pools fail the first-time round, so it’s worth working with a company such as Pool Certify who can give you a detailed report. For those who are selling, you can then either choose to receive a non-compliance certificate or make the changes to get it up to scratch.

2. You can fail on something very simple

Compliance certificates are there for a reason, which is to keep pools safe and avoid preventable drowning deaths. Therefore, you can fail on something simple, and while it may seem trivial, by fixing the issue you could prevent a horrible accident.

Some reasons peoples’ pools are non-compliant include:

• Latches that don’t secure the gate
• There’s a climbable object nearby that could allow a child to get over the fence
• Unlocked windows facing the pool
• Lack of approved signage
• A gap in the fence

It’s important to check these details before your inspection, as they are often easy to fix, so you don’t face further delays.

3. Non-compliance can leave you with a big fine

The crackdown on unsafe pools has meant an increase in fines, to ensure people know the importance of compliance in this area. And yes, local rangers can and will issue fines if they notice any issues. They can issue on the spot fines of $550, as well as larger fines of up to $5,500 if enforcement to rectify is necessary. It’s therefore a lot cheaper to get an inspection and make the relevant changes. Pool owners who are fined still have to do the work anyway.

4. Compliance really does save lives

Pool compliance certificates were introduced to prevent drowning deaths, especially in children, and there’s no doubt it has helped bring down the number of deaths. When used alongside common sense measures such as close supervision of children in the pool, it can help prevent one of the many awful tragedies that sadly do still occur when the weather gets warmer in NSW.

If you live in NSW and are concerned your pool may not be safety compliant, or you simply want a check for your peace of mind, fill in the contact form to make a booking with Pool Certify or find out more about our services