Pre-Visit Checklist
Do a self-assessment prior to your inspection
If you want to make sure that you pass your inspection the first time, it is normally a good idea to check your pool or spa barrier before your inspection. By making sure your pool is compliant for your initial inspection, you avoid the need for a re-inspection, saving you time and money.
Here are some of the most common pitfalls that can prevent your pool or spa from being compliant:
1
Check gates for compliance
You should check each of the gates in your pool barrier to make sure that they are all up to code. If the wall of your house makes up part of the safety barrier, then any doors leading to the pool area need to be checked as well. All pool gates should:
- Close themselves from any position. Even a fence that is left slightly ajar should be able to close itself without intervention.
- Have an opening mechanism at least 1.5m above the ground. (Alternatively, the mechanism can be lower down if it is on the inside of the gate and children cannot reach through.)
- Only be able to be opened using this mechanism.
- Always open outwards, swinging away from the pool area.
2
Check the height and gaps of pool safety fences
It is important to make sure that your pool fence is up to code, so that children cannot climb over or through the fence. Your pool fence should:
- Be structurally sound. The fence must not bend or break when force is applied.
- Be at least 1.2m tall.
- Have no gaps greater than 10cm across. This includes the gap between the bottom of the pool fence and the ground.
3
Check for climbable objects
You must not have any objects near the fence that a child could use to climb into the pool area. This includes both permanent fixtures and movable objects. For example, any of the following objects near your pool fence could potentially make your pool non-compliant:
- Tables and chairs
- BBQ’s
- Air-conditioners
- Trees (with enough low branches to climb)
- Shrubs and other plants
- Water taps or hose reels
- Electrical power outlets
- Rubbish and debris
- Retaining walls and other fences
- Any other objects that provide a foothold that children could use to climb over a pool fence
VBA Checklists
The Victorian Building Authority provides checklists that you can use to conduct your own trial inspection of your pool barrier. These checklists contain all of the criteria that registered pool inspectors use during your pool inspection. The checklist to use depends on when your pool or spa was constructed:
For swimming pools and spas constructed on or before
8 April 1991
For swimming pools and spas constructed between
8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010
For swimming pools and spas constructed from
30 April 2010 onwards