Summer is here, and living in Queensland means a lot of us are spending time cooling down in our pools at home.  According to the Queensland Government, Department of Housing and Public Works, one of the leading causes of death of children under 5, is sadly drowning.

From this, we need to make sure that pool safety is a number one priority and is of the utmost important to all home owners.  This means ensuring your pool fencing is adequate and complies with the relevant legislation and safety standards.

So, if you own a property with a pool, whether it is the house you currently occupy or that you rent out to tenants, here is what you need to know:

Firstly, you need to ensure that your pool is a registered pool with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).  This is simple and easy, and can even be done online, and better yet, it won’t cost you a cent. 

Secondly, you need to make sure that your pool is fenced to the current pool safety standards.  From 1 December 2015, if you are selling or leasing your property with a pool you MUST obtain a pool safety certificate from a licensed pool safety inspector.  Your fence will need to meet certain requirements like height, and latches and ensuring there is no direct access from the house.  If you aren’t selling or leasing the property, you may not require a pool safety certificate but your fence will still need to be compliant. 

There are some useful tools through the QBCC to help make your pool safer, but it is best to have a licensed inspector look over it first.  Failure to comply with the required standards can see home owners being hit with fines from $800.  If you are buying or selling a property with a pool and have questions about pool safety, call us today!