FAQS

FAQs

Why has the law changed?

Pools and spas are the most common location of drownings for children aged five and under, and on
average four children die in home pools and spas every year.
Eighty per cent of swimming pool and spa barriers in Victoria aren’t meeting safety standards. The new state-wide
regulations aim to make pools and spas safer for everyone, particularly kids aged five and under.

When are Barriers required?

All swimming pools and spas capable of containing water greater than 300mm (30cm) must have a
compliant safety barrier to restrict access to the pool area by young children (under the age of five). Barriers
are required for:
• in-ground pools and spas
• above-ground pools and spas, including relocatable and inflatable pools that are capable of holding more than 300mm (30cm) of water and require assembly on site.
• indoor pools and spas
• bathing and wading pools capable of containing more than 300mm (30cm) of water. Barriers aren't
required for:
• inflatable swimming pools (typically toddler or wading pools) that cannot contain a water depth greater than
300mm (30cm).
• small inflatable pools that do not consist of multiple components and do not require any assembly. An
example of such a product is a small inflatable pool that requires no assembly other than inflation.
• bird baths / fishponds / reflection ponds
• fountains
• water supply/storage tanks/dams
• baths used for personal hygiene and emptied after each use
• spas inside a building (e.g. in a bathroom) used for personal hygiene and emptied after each use
• pools or spas that cannot contain a water depth of more than 300mm.

What are the common barrier failures?

When undertaking an inspection, it is important to understand the common barrier
component failures that have been noted in areas where mandatory inspections have been
implemented.
• gates are not self-closing and self-latching from all points
• height of the pool safety barrier is less than 1200 millimetres because ground levels and
garden beds have increased or grown over time and have, therefore, reduced the height of
the pool barrier
• Climbable pool barrier
• Windows, opening into the pool enclosure, are able to open more than a 100 millimetres
• Fixed climbable objects located near the pool safety barrier.
• Moveable climbable objects
• Damaged pool barrier

What are the common rectification works?

In some circumstances there may be certain minor repairs required to make a swimming
pool barrier compliant, allowing a homeowner to obtain a Certificate of Barrier compliance.
Some items that may need minor repair may include but are not limited to;
• replacing, adjusting or installing strikers and latches
• tightening, adjusting or installing hinges to ensure they are capable of holding the gate
• tightening, adjusting or installing a self-closing mechanism on a gate to ensure the gate self- closes
• replacing, repairing, adjusting or installing hinges to ensure a gate self closes
• making alterations to a gate to change the direction of a gates swing