When is a Safety Barrier Required?
Safety barriers are required for all swimming pools & spas capable of holding more than 300mm (30cm) of water.
- This includes:
- outdoor pools & spas (inground & above ground)
- indoor pools & spas
- relocatable & inflatable pools (if capable of containing more than 300mm of water)
- Bathing and wading pools with a water depth of more than 300mm
- Barriers are not required for:
- inflatable pools that cannot hold more that 30cm of water
- pools & spas that cannot hold more that 30cm of water
- bird baths
- fountains
- water supply/storage tanks
- fish ponds
- dams
- baths & indoor spas used for personal hygiene & emptied after each use
Pool & Spa Registration & Inspection Requirements
On December 1st 2019 new registration, inspection & certification requirements came into effect for property owners.
Pool & spa owners are now required to have completed (or be in the process of completing) the following:
- Register your pool with your local council by 1st November 2020**
- Organise an inspection of your pool safety barrier with a registered swimming pool inspector
- Rectify any issues identified in pool inspection
- Submit a certificate of compliance to your council by the due date
**It is important to check with your local council what date you have until your pool fence needs to compliant, due to covid some dates have been pushed back, allowing homeowners more time to sort the funds and tradespeople necessary.
For more information on registration requirements check the VBA website: Pool and spa inspections and compliance | Victorian Building Authority (vba.vic.gov.au)
Pool & Spa Safety Barrier Compliance Checklists
It is the homeowners responsibility to maintain their swimming pool barrier in order to restrict access to the pool area.
The following checklists are designed by the Victorian Building Authority to help homeowners assess the safety of their barriers. The checklists are based on the date the pool or spa was installed:
- Checklist 1 (for pools and spas installed before 8 April 1991) (PDF, 674.37 KB)
- Checklist 2 (for pools and spas installed between 8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010) (PDF, 595.22 KB)
- Checklist 3 (for pools and spas installed from 1 May 2010) (PDF, 3341.21 KB)
At JS Glass Fencing all of materials used for pool and spa safety barriers comply with the relevant regulations AS1926.1-2012., & are installed meeting necessary guidelines.
Royal Life Saving Club also has a pool safety checklist ideal for families with small children, its includes checking the safety barriers, as well as making sure pool toys are stored correctly, & chemicals are being used & stored in a safe way.