You have dreamed about your pool for years, and now it is almost ready to go. The last thing you need is to get certified so everything is legal and approved. Before you make the call and have someone come out, you can do your own inspection and see if you are likely to have any problems during the inspection. There are several things that the inspector will be looking for; here are a few of the things that will be considered.
- Fences and Gates: Your pool fence is an important feature. It will help immensely with peace of mind, the fence is your protection that children won’t get in there without supervision, and if you do have an intruder, you can show that you took the appropriate measures to keep them out. Your fence needs to be 1200mm tall with less than a 100mm gap underneath. The fence also should be unclimbable, and climbable objects need to be a reasonable distance away from the fence. Your gate latch should be lockable and child resistant. The gate cannot open towards the pool, and it must be self-closing. The latch release needs to be more than 1500mm from the ground.
- Other Access: There should be no other access points to the pool, such as the house. Suppose there is a balcony within 900mm; it needs to have a barrier so that it cannot be an access point.
- Safety Features: Your pool should have safety and rescue features, and these need to be clearly visible and accessible. Life preserver rings and rescue devices should be easy to access. And a compliant CPR sign should be prominently displayed.
- Other Features: Other safety issues, which are perhaps unnecessary for the certification but beneficial for everyone’s safety, are: Pool equipment and pumping equipment should be locked. You should have a pool test kit and conduct weekly if not biweekly tests of water quality. You should have the electrical systems and light tested for leaks and have the work signed off by a certified electrician. And the area around the pool should be smooth and without any cracks or trip hazards. If you are looking for pool certification in Blacktown or other locations, you can ask specific questions before the formal certification.
Having your own pool is a wonderful thing, but it needs to be treated with respect. Accidents in water are always serious, and it is a big responsibility to make sure you have done everything you can do to make it the safest possible.