Lachie relaxes after a swim at a Casey pool.DROWNING is the leading cause of preventable deaths in children less than five years of age, so the City of Casey is urging residents to follow pool and spa safety regulations.
“Swimming pool and spa owners are required by law to meet government standards and regulations and are also expected to regularly maintain safety barriers around their pool or spa,” City of Casey’s manager of building services Ron Walker said.
Regulations apply to any swimming pool or spa containing a water depth of more than 300mm and constructed on a property on which there is a house.
“A pool or spa greater than 300mm in depth and capable of holding water exceeding 300mm in depth, requires a building permit, and any fence required to form a barrier for a pool or spa area also requires a building permit,” Mr Walker said.
“If you own a pool or spa, the building regulations place responsibility on you to ensure that barriers are in place to restrict children from entering the pool area. And if children are in the pool area, make sure that there is constant adult supervision.”
Owners are advised to check pool fences, gates, doors andwindows that form the barrier are fitted and maintained to operate correctly.
Safety barriers such as gates and doors should not be left open or propped open, and landscaping should be maintained to ensure tree branches and pot plants are not used to climb on by young children to gain access to the pool/spa.
The general area surrounding safety barriers should be checked to ensure that chairs, boxes, ropes, pool pumps, clothes lines, dog kennels and children’s play equipment can not be used to gain access to the pool.
Chicldren should always be supervised while in the pool area.
If they need to leave the area, children should be taken too.
