Proposed changes to swimming pool safety barriers
LG Leader September 2019
The Australian Standard relating to swimming pool safety barriers, AS 1926.1 Swimming pool safety – Safety barriers for swimming pools is currently under review. This Standard provides the design, construction and performance specifications of various barrier options, which are intended to restrict entry to a swimming pool area by young children. The Standard forms part of the legislative regime relating to swimming pool safety.
AS 1926.1 is the first Standard in a 3-part series relating to swimming pools. Two other Standards (AS 1926.2 and AS 1926.3) relate to the location of safety barriers and water recirculation systems respectively. These two Standards are not currently being reviewed.
The proposed changes to the Standard include a more logical order of presentation and, helpfully, the clarification of a number of inconsistences and ambiguities. Some technical specifications have also been revisited to better illustrate particular safety issues.
Most notably, the draft includes more detailed and illustrated specifications relating to: non-climbable zones; objects within a non-climbable zone; angled extensions of a barrier; and the
specifications relating to perforated material or mesh strength in regards to loading requirements. The draft also includes the requirements regarding steps, retaining walls, or level changes located near or next to a barrier. Amendments are also proposed to the list of defined terms.
Where the current Standard requires that no plants “that will facilitate climbing” are to be located within a non-climbable zone the draft proposes to further expand on this issue and lists specific plants that do not facilitate climbing which can therefore be located within a non-climbable zone, such as succulents and shrubs and some types of foliage.
The draft Standard can be accessed and downloaded for free from the Standards Australia website or SAI Global. The draft is open for public comment until 31 December 2019. We encourage any council staff involved in the assessment or inspection of swimming pools to review the draft Standard and consider making a submission.