Monday 30 March 2009
MEDIA RELEASE

Keeping young children safe main aim of swimming pool fence inspections

One of the biggest tragedies a family can face is the accidental drowning of a young child in a home swimming or spa pool.

Following some particularly heart-wrenching deaths the Government introduced The Fencing of Swimming Pools Act in 1987 to make sure all pools were adequately fenced.

The Act applies to any swimming pool constructed, erected, or installed when the pool contains more than 400mm of water and is filled or partly filled with water.

All councils have a statutory obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure that this Act is complied with within its district. In order to meet this statutory obligation Thames-Coromandel District Council undertakes regular inspections to ensure ongoing compliance.

Under the Act every pool owner is required to register their swimming or spa pool with Council. Further, every owner or person in control of a pool is required to ensure that the pool complies with the requirements of this Act.

Council has some 450 pools registered in its area and has established a three year rolling audit cycle to inspect every swimming or spa pool during this period. There is a charge for these inspections on a cost recovery basis.

"The audit process should be looked upon as a warrant of fitness of the pool fencing and helps to ensure that the pool can be enjoyed in a safe environment," says TCDC Senior Building Control Officer Investigation, Monitoring and Enforcement Alan Benson. "Nobody wants to see a young child drown needlessly."

The owner and or person in control of a pool will be advised of any non-compliance identified during an inspection. Remedial actions may involve having the pool drained until the fencing complies and the environment is made safe.

"While the Council has the responsibility to check that swimming and spa pools are safely fenced - it's the pool and spa owners themselves who should have the greatest incentive to ensure this is so because it's their children or neighbours' children who are most at risk if they get it wrong," Mr Benson says.

Prevention is easy but sometimes basic safeguards can fall into disrepair and ongoing checks are required to make sure child access to your pool or spa is appropriately controlled.

This includes all gates, doors and windows that may access the immediate pool area and any additional activities in the immediate pool area such as vegetable gardens, clotheslines, play equipment or anything else that may distract an adult from supervising young children when they may be in that area.

Copies of the “Your Pool Your Responsibility" brochure are available at any council office or if you want to check whether your swimming or spa pool is registered or if you have concerns about your pool fencing please call Environmental Services Administrator Teresa Paul on 07 868 0200.

ENDS

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