Keep Kids Safe This Summer: Why Your Pool Fence Needs to Be Compliant and Secure
As summer approaches across Australia, families are preparing for long, sunny days by the pool. Before the holiday season gets into full swing, it’s vital to make sure your glass or aluminium pool fence is compliant, secure, and functioning properly. We’re here to help homeowners across the country create safe, stylish, and compliant outdoor spaces that meet Australian Standards and help prevent tragic backyard accidents.
The Importance of Pool Fence Safety
Backyard pools are an iconic part of Australian life, especially in the warmer states of Australia. However, drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death among children under five.
According to Royal Life Saving Australia, many of these incidents occur because of faulty or non-compliant pool barriers. That’s why programs like Kids Alive Do the Five are so important and have been encouraging Australian families since 1988 to take five essential steps to keep children safe around water:
- Fence the pool
- Shut the gate
- Teach your kids to swim
- Supervise
- Learn CPR
Is Your Pool Fence Safe and Compliant?
Before you dive into the pool these holidays, it’s important to check if your pool fence is still doing its job. A quick inspection can reveal issues that impact safety and addressing them early helps prevent accidents.
Perform a quick inspection of your pool area
- Fence Structural Integrity
Have you checked the fence for any damaged sections, rust or broken panels? Deteriorated panels reduce the effectiveness of the fence and create lower entry points that children can enter from. - Fence Height
Does your pool fence reach at least 1200mm from the ground level? Is your fence level and has no gaps greater than 100mm between panels or the ground? - Fence Location
Are garden beds, furniture or climbable objects positioned far enough away to reduce the risk of unsafe entry? Are nearby windows secured or far enough to prevent access to the area? Are tree branches trimmed back to at least 900mm to avoid being another entry point? - Gate Functionality
Is your pool gate intact and fitted with a self-closing mechanism? Does the latch operate correctly and remain secured? Does the gate open inward and is free from anything that might keep it being held open?
Review your state legal requirements
Every state and territory has specific pool safety laws and regulations. We recommend you visit your local government regulation websites to ensure you are getting exactly what you require and what will comply with your relative local and State Government Building Standards.
Maintain and Repair Your Pool Fence with Oxworks
Keeping your pool fence in safe working order is essential, and Oxworks offers a full range of components to help you repair or upgrade your fence, so it can stay compliant with your state’s pool safety standards.
For aluminium pool fencing, we supply new panels, gates, and quality hardware to ensure security and reliability. You can also update your gate with our range of D&D Technologies pool safety compliant latches and self-closing hinges.
If you have glass pool fencing, you can replace individual glass panels or update worn spigots, latches and hinges to restore stability and proper gate operation. To keep your glass panels looking their best, we supply Enduroshield’s range of cleaning, restoration and treatment kits.
For added safety around the pool area, you are required to have CPR resuscitation signage installed in a visible area to help keep everyone prepared.
Stay Educated with the Kids Alive Do the Five program
Spend time refreshing your family’s water safety knowledge and build stronger pool safety habits with the Kids Alive Do the Five program. The Kids Alive website offers practical tools that make learning simple, including printable activities, storybooks, songs and videos that teach children how to behave safely around water. Use these materials to start regular conversations with your family about supervision, safe swimming behaviour and what to do in an emergency.
Stay Safe, Stay Compliant
Before summer arrives, take the time to check your pool fence, gates, and latches. Small maintenance steps can make a huge difference in preventing accidents and saving lives. At Oxworks, we’re proud to support Australian families in creating safe and inviting pool areas. Nothing matters more than keeping your children safe around water, so make sure your home is prepared for this year’s swim season.