Pool Safety Inspections

Call us for a pool safety inspection, we can find and fix any issues for you.

Pool Safety Inspector QBCC Licence # PS1126448

Since most fencing components are relatively inexpensive, a large portion of the cost of rectifying non-compliances is labour.

Bricks Plus offers a wide range of repair services at a competitive rate. However, time is still money, and it is not uncommon for the repair bill to exceed the cost of the inspection.

Most of the repairs we do are made easy by familiarity: we encounter the same types of fencing, brackets, gate latches and hinges over and over, so we know how to adjust them and, as a last resort, where to go to get replacement parts.

Our customers appreciate our speed and the looks of the finished product, but unless the work is extremely minor, we must charge for it. For the more budget conscious, you may be surprised how many types of repairs you can do yourself with a few tools and some basic knowledge.

The purpose of this page is to:

show you how to carry out your own pool safety inspection so that you can minimise your chances of surprise expenses, non-conformity notices and costly re-inspections; and
give you the basic information you need for carrying out the most common types of repairs, so that you don’t need to pay us to do them or scour the internet looking for a reliable tradie who is willing to take on small jobs.

Carry out your own pool safety inspection.
Check whether your pool gate is compliant.
Fix a rubbing latch (pull-top Magnalatch).
Fix a rubbing or malfunctioning latch (magnetic side-pull, also known as “general purpose” latch).
Determine if you have a compliant Non-Climbable Zone.
Check whether your fence is high enough.
Adjust gate hinge tension.
Check whether your pool fencing is strong enough.
Check whether your CPR (safety) sign is compliant.
Decide whether you need a splay (or wedge) on your fence rail.
Determine whether your plants are too close to the pool fence.
Determine if you need a shield.
Close a gap under a fence or gate.
Deal with a non-compliance on the neighbour’s side of the fence.

1. Carry out your own pool safety inspection.

During a pool safety inspection, the inspector measures and tests several aspects of the pool barrier. The key items we look for are:

barrier is at least 1200 mm high at every point
gates open away from pool, and automatically self-close and self-latch from every open position
gates don’t stick or catch on anything that prevents them from swinging closed
if the gate latch is a top-pull magnetic type, its release knob is at least 1500 mm above ground level and at least 1400 mm above the lower rail of the fence
gate hinges are at least 900 mm apart (as measured from top of hinge to top of hinge)
all fencing components are strong and secure
there are no climbable items (tree branches, strong vines, furniture, toys, raised garden beds, steps, BBQ grills, planters) within 900 mm of the outside (non-pool side) of the fence
there are no climbable items (vines, equipment hooks, hose reels, taps, power points) wrapped around or attached to the fence that are less than 900 mm from the next handhold or foothold
there are no climbable items within 300 mm of the inside (pool side) of the fence (these are acceptable if the fence is constructed of glass or palings spaced less than 10 mm apart)
vertical rods in metal fences are less than 100 mm apart, and can’t be squeezed to open gaps greater than 105 mm
there are no gaps under the fence or gates that exceed 100 mm
there are no doors or windows that open directly to the pool
there is a relatively recent (2010 or later) CPR sign on display in the pool area
there are no obvious hazards around the pool (such as nail tips or other sharp objects protruding from fences, steep drops without balustrading, or severely weakened decking or coping)

2. Check whether your pool gate is compliant.

Ensure the gate swings outward, away from the pool area.
Ensure the gate does not open into the house or onto someone else’s property.
Ensure there are no climbable items, including horizontal or diagonal fence or gate rails, that can be used as footholds to climb the gate.
Measure the height of the gate, from the ground to the top of the gate. It should be at least 1200 mm high.
Measure the gap under the gate. It should be no more than 100 mm.
If the latch releases by pulling a knob at the top upward, measure the distance from the top of the knob to the ground. It should be at least 1500 mm.
If the latch is a horizontal spring-loaded or magnetic slide type, ensure the gap between the gate and post is less than 10 mm or that the latch is high enough that a small child cannot reach under or over the gate to pull the latch knob.
Measure the distance from the top of the lower gate rail to the top of the latch knob. It should be at least 1400 mm.
Measure the distance between hinges (top of hinge to top of hinge). It should be at least 900 mm.

If the hinges are too closely spaced and the distance between the gate post and gate is less than 10 mm, a hinge safety cap may be installed atop the lower hinge to make it non-climbable. Otherwise, one or both hinges should be removed, spread apart, and then re-installed.

Note that hinge safety caps come in various styles. The cap shown at left suits Kwik-Fit and Easy-Fit hinges; the one at right suits D&D; Tru-Close hinges.

Open the gate and let go. It should always swing closed and latch itself, regardless of how far you opened it (even if you only opened it a few mm).
Ensure the latch works consistently and smoothly, and that the gate, once latched, cannot be forced open by pulling or applying downward pressure on the gate.

3. Fix a rubbing latch (pull-top Magnalatch).

First, determine whether the latch is rubbing vertically or horizontally.
If rubbing vertically, remove the set-screw at the bottom of the latch. Push the latch up or down to clear the striker, and then re-install the set-screw.
If rubbing horizontally, turn the adjustment screw on the striker body to re-align it with the magnetic cup at the bottom of the latch. If the striker is at its maximum position (farthest it can be moved away from the gate post), the post may need to be moved in order to achieve adequate clearance. With a typical aluminium gate and fence, this can generally be done by removing the upper rail-to-post bracket from the adjacent fence panel, cutting the rail a few mm (with a hacksaw or angle grinder), then reinstalling the bracket while pulling the post toward the cut rail.

4. Fix a rubbing or malfunctioning latch (magnetic side-pull, also known as “general purpose” latch)

These types of latches, often found on glass gates, can be very tricky to adjust. First, the cause of the rubbing or malfunction must be determined. The most common problems are:

a. The striker is too far from the post (i.e., magnet not strong enough to pull the piston into the receptacle). In this case, it may be possible to remove one or both parts of the striker, move them toward each other, then re-install. It is generally easier to re-position the receptacle than the striker because it is usually screwed into an aluminium post rather than a glass panel.

b. The striker piston does not match up with the centre of the slot on the striker receptacle, either because one of the two striker components is too low or high, or because the gate does not swing closed far enough to engage the striker. If the problem is caused by mismatched heights of the two striker components, it may be possible to remove one or both parts, move them up or down to better align them, then re-install.

In the photograph below, it can be seen that the striker is held in place by four screws inserted into slotted (elongated) holes. If the screws on the receptacle are loosened, it should be possible to slide the receptacle up or down, then tighten the screws to correct a vertical alignment problem. If the screws on the striker are loosened, it should be possible to slide the striker horizontally (left or right), then tighten the screws to correct a spacing problem.

It is often the case that this method of using the slots to adjust the striker position is not feasible because the screws are already in their furthest position within the slots (e.g., in the photo above the receptacle has little or no downward adjustment remaining because the screws are at the top of the slots). In this case, additional movement may be achieved by either drilling new holes in the post, or replacing the screws with thinner bolts and nuts extending all the way through the post or glass panel.

If the gate does not swing closed far enough to engage the striker, it may be possible to either increase the hinge tension, or add packing to the striker to move it further from the gate panel so that it engages earlier as the gate swings closed.

5. Determine if you have a compliant Non-Climbable Zone.

The Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ) is one of the most complex concepts of all the pool safety regulations, and many aspects of it are often left to the judgment of the pool safety inspector. In general, for a typical pool fence, the NCZ is an imaginary semi-circle with its centre at the top of the fence. The semi-circle is 900 mm in radius, and swings upward, across (away from the pool) and down from the top of the fence. In this area, and an additional 300 mm additional clear area (orange crescent in figure below) in the lower half of the semi-circle, there should not be any climbable objects that a small child might use to climb up the fence. If there are any climbable objects (also known as footholds or handholds), they must be at least 900 mm apart from each other. For example, if there are two horizontal rails that are accessible (i.e., they are either on the outside of the fence, or gaps greater than 10 mm between verticals can be used to gain toeholds on inside rails), they must be at least 900 mm apart (as measured from the top of one rail to the top of the other).

The reason behind the additional clear area is that objects close to the fence that are strong and substantially horizontal (such as steps, decks, strong branches, garden beds, planters and furniture) can reduce the fence’s “effective height” to less than 1200 mm. For example, if a raised garden bed 200 mm outside the fence is 200 mm high, and the fence is 1200 mm high, then a child standing atop the garden bed would be effectively facing a 1000 mm climb to the top of the fence; therefore the garden bed would be considered non-compliant.

For a fence that is 1800 mm high or higher, the NCZ may be either on the outside or inside of the fence. If on the inside, the NCZ is not a semi-circle but a quarter circle, with centre at the top of the fence, and the quadrant extending horizontally inward (toward the pool), then down until it meets the fence. There must not be any footholds within this quarter circle.

When a fence intersects with another fence or with another structure (such as a building, pillar or retaining wall), the NCZ is dependent on the heights of the two intersecting structures.

If both fences are less than 1800 mm high, or if a fence less than 1800 mm high intersects with a building, the NCZ takes the form of a hemi-sphere with 900 mm radius, centred on the top of the lower fence (or the top of both fences if they are the same height), plus the lower 300 mm bulge.

Where two fences intersect, and one is at least 1800 mm high and the other is less, the NCZ can be on the inside of the intersection and take the form of a quarter circle extending 900 mm out and down from the top of the 1800 mm fence. In this case, climbable objects are permitted on the outside of the 1800 mm fence.

If both fences are 1800 mm high or higher, the NCZ can either be on the outside of the two fences, extending 900 mm in both directions from the top corner, or the inside of the two fences, extending downward 900 mm in the shape of a quarter-circle from the tops of the two fences.

6. Check whether your fence is high enough.

Fence height is measured on the side of the Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ), from finished ground level to the top of the fence. Finished ground level means the hard surface beneath any soft ground cover such as loose soil, pebbles, mulch or leaf litter. The top of the fence, for flat top fences, is the top of the upper horizontal rail. For timber paled fences, it is the top of the palings. For loop top fences, the top of the fence is approximately half-way between the top of the loop and the point where it becomes vertical.

The fence and gates must all be at least 1200 mm high.

There are often ways to increase the height of a fence without replacing it. For example, fence panels may be moved upwards as long as they do not open a gap beneath the fence greater than 100 mm. Strips of timber, aluminium or polycarbonate may be attached across the upper part of the fence to effectively raise its height. In some cases (e.g., timber fences and concrete walls that terminate below ground level, and metal fences whose lower rails have been covered by soil or leaf litter), the ground at the bottom of the fence may be lightly excavated in order to effectively lower the ground, thereby increasing the fence’s height.

7. Adjust gate hinge tension.

Some types of hinges are adjustable, while others are not and must be replaced when they no longer function properly.

a. KwikFit and Easy-Fit hinges: these are generally black, made of plastic, and shaped like a long, thin, butterfly with rectangular wings. Non-adjustable hinges, once corroded to the point where they no longer provide enough tension to consistently close the gate, must generally be replaced.

Adjustable Kwik-Fit hinges must be replaced once their adjustment mechanism reaches its maximum adjustment level. Unfortunately adjustable KwikFit hinges are no longer available, so they must be replaced with one of the other types of hinges (either non-adjustable KwikFit or D&D; Tru-Close).

To adjust the tension on an adjustable Kwik-Fit hinge, insert a thin metal rod (such as an Allen wrench or the tool that came with the hinge) into one of the open holes in hinge axle. Turn the axle to reveal the short rod that is in one of the other holes, and continue turning until the next hole is revealed. Pull the short rod out of the hole and insert it into the newly exposed hole. Remove the adjustment tool.

b. Tru-Close hinges: these are generally black, made of plastic, and shaped like a stout butterfly with slightly rounded wings and a thick, cylindrical abdomen (axle). Tru-Close hinges come in regular (25 kg rated) and larger, “heavy duty” styles. The former are typically used for standard aluminium gates, while the latter are used for timber gates.

To adjust the tension on a Tru-Close hinge, remove the hinge cap with a Phillips-head screwdriver (on the newer style hinges, as shown below, this step is not necessary because there is no hinge cap). Then insert a flat-head screwdriver into the slot at the top of the axle, push downward, and turn the screwdriver in the direction indicated on the diagram on the axle, then remove the screwdriver. The slot needs to be turned in quarter-turn increments; turning less than a quarter-turn will fail to engage the ratchet mechanism and the spring will return to its original position once the screwdriver is removed.

c. Glass gate hinges: these are generally stainless steel, with one flap screwed onto a round or square gate post and the other bolted through two holes in the glass gate panel.

To adjust the tension on a stainless steel glass gate hinge, insert a thin metal rod (such as an Allen wrench or the tool that came with the hinge) into one of the open holes surrounding the hinge axle. Turn the axle to reveal the short peg that is in one of the other holes, and continue turning until the next hole is revealed. Pull the peg out of the hole and insert it into the newly exposed hole. Remove the adjustment tool.

d. Internal post hinges (also known as a 25X25 tube hinge): these are generally found on older A.R.C. gates. They are made of steel, and consist of a spring that fits down into the post (invisible once installed), a short, cylindrical nub that protrudes above the hinge bracket, and an L-shaped angle bracket that anchors the gate to the post.

To adjust the tension on an internal post hinge, insert a metal rod (or thin screwdriver) into the hole in the nub of the hinge. Pry the nub upward to disengage the hex-shaped shoulder beneath the nub from the hex-shaped hole in the bracket, then turn the nub (the direction is dependent on which side of the gate the hinge is on, but you will feel the tension increasing if you are turning in the correct direction). Once you have turned the nub far enough to reposition the shoulder (at least one sixth of a turn) into the hexagonal bracket hole, push the nub back down and remove the rod or screwdriver.

Sometimes a hinge is too corroded to adjust and must be replaced.

In addition to these types of hinges, some gates, particularly steel, timber, and timber with steel frame, are fitted with a galvanised steel spring that either replaces the hinge spring or supplements it. These springs, unless corroded, can sometimes be tensioned by turning the cylinder at the top or base of the spring and repositioning the short rod that locks the spring in place by moving the rod from one hole to the next.

8. Check whether your pool fencing is strong enough.

Find the fence’s weakest points, and conduct the following test at each point: Pull (horizontally toward you) on the fence, then push on it (away from you) with a force roughly equal to 33 kg (a luggage scale may be used to verify the amount of force being exerted on the fence). If it is strong enough, the fence should not break or permanently deform, the posts should not crack, and the footings should remain strong and unbroken.

For aluminium fences, squeeze the vertical rods firmly and ensure that the distance from each squeezed rod to the next one does not exceed 105 mm.

For timber fences, check that there are no loose, missing or cracked palings.

9. Check whether your CPR (safety) sign is compliant.

Your CPR sign should be installed on the inside of the pool fence, facing the pool. It should be unobstructed and clearly visible from all points of the pool surround. It should not be faded or damaged to the point where any of it is hard to read. It should be at least 300 X 300 mm, and made of a weatherproof material such as high grade plastic or aluminium.

There is some debate over the CPR instructions that constitute a compliant sign. The Queensland Ambulance Service, Australian Resuscitation Council, and Royal Life Saving Society maintain that chest compressions should come before rescue breaths, while the Pool Safety Council and some Queensland Health officials maintain that CPR should begin with two breaths, followed by compressions. All of these organisations are in agreement that thirty is the optimal number of compressions; this was increased from fifteen in the past.

The sign below is considered compliant by the Pool Safety Council because it specifies two rescue breaths (in step B) prior to chest compressions.

The following sign is considered non-compliant by the Pool Safety Council because it does not specify two breaths prior to compressions. However it is endorsed by nearly every other national and state emergency services provider.

In general, if your sign is dated 2017 or later, meets the other criteria mentioned above, specifies thirty compressions (not fifteen), and lists the use of a defibrillator as one of the last steps, it will most likely be deemed compliant by a pool safety inspector.

10. Decide whether you need a splay (or wedge) on your fence rail.

On older timber fences, the horizontal rails are often spaced too closely to create a compliant Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ). It is rarely feasible to move a timber rail, but it is possible via the use of a splay to make its surface virtually non-climbable. A splay, also known as a wedge, fillet or (in Bunnings parlance) tilt batten, is attached to the top of a fence rail, butted up against the palings, in order to turn the top of the rail into a steep, non-climbable edge.

In order to determine whether a timber fence needs a splay, imagine a climbing path from the ground to the top of the fence. If there is at least one span of 900 mm or greater between climbable surfaces, the fence is probably compliant.

If the centre rail is less than 900 mm from the bottom rail, then a splay may be attached to either the centre or bottom rail to effectively eliminate it as a potential foothold.

Note that splays do not make a rail non-climbable if the palings are more than 10 mm apart. In cases like this it may be more appropriate to block access to the upper rail with an additional rail or a timber, polycarbonate or fibro panel to effectively raise the level of its upper surface. In the photo below, the upper surface of the centre rail has been effectively raised by using a splay to make it non-climbable and a fibro panel to increase its distance from the lower rail.

Combining a panel and splay in this way overcomes the problem of palings spaced more than 10 mm apart, and provides the additional benefit that the fence becomes non-climbable on both sides (useful if there are pools in both yards).

When selecting splays, check that the top of the triangle is sharp and straight. When attaching, ensure the top of the splay abuts the fence palings tightly so that the splay edge does not present a foothold.

11. Determine whether your plants are too close to the pool fence.

Many pools have trees or shrubs along the outside of the fence. To determine whether one of these plants is climbable and therefore violates the NCZ, first determine whether the plant can support the weight of a small child (up to 25 kg, or the weight of a typical bag of pool salt). If not, it is probably acceptable. If the plant is extremely dense or thorny, making it painful and difficult for a child to penetrate, it is probably acceptable. If a tree has a very smooth trunk or stalks (like most species of palms), with no forks or horizontally sheared branches less than 900 mm above ground level, it is probably acceptable. If the nearest foothold or handhold on the plant is more than 900 mm (horizontally) away from the fence, it is most likely acceptable.

For plants on the inside (pool side) of the fence, any branches, branch forks or cut off stalks must be at least 300 mm from the fence, or they must be at least 900 mm (measured vertically) from the next handhold or foothold (e.g., fence rail or next branch).

12. Determine if you need a shield.

In the realm of pool safety inspections, the word “shield” can have different meanings in different contexts. Broadly speaking, a shield is something that blocks access to a foothold or handhold. Below are a few examples of shields:

The land outside of the pool fence slopes upward and is retained by large boulders. The edges of the boulders are within the fence’s Additional Clear Area. The shields depicted below effectively raise the height of the fence to a point where the boulders are more than 1200 mm from the top rail of the fence, providing a compliant NCZ and Additional Clear Area.

A power point attached to the wall of a house that intersects with the pool fence is within the fence’s Non-Climbable Zone. In cases like this, where it may not be feasible to relocate the power point, a shield may be fashioned out of aluminium, stainless steel or polycarbonate. The shield makes the top surface of the power point too steep for a small child to gain a foothold.

The ground beneath a pool fence slopes but the fence runs horizontally. This creates a gap under the fence which exceeds the maximum 100 mm. There are many ways to rectify this; one of them is to attach a shield to the bottom of the fence, effectively extending the fence panel toward the ground. If polycarbonate (or thick Perspex) is used, the shield is barely visible, as can be seen in the photograph below.

A hose tap is attached to the inside of an aluminium pool fence, halfway up between the two horizontal rails of the fence. A child could conceivably put his/her leg between the fence rods, get a foothold onto the tap, and use it as a stepping stone to climb the fence. If the tap can’t be relocated, a shield may be attached to the fence, making it impossible for the child to get a foot between the fence rods and onto the tap.
A concrete water feature or large ceramic planter is positioned just inside a pool fence. The water feature or planter has one or more horizontal projections and indentations that are less than 900 mm from either fence rail. If the object can’t reasonably be moved at least 300 mm from the inside of the fence, or raised or lowered to create a 900 mm gap between climbable surfaces, the fence can be shielded to block access to it.
A screen door with an ornate security grill, or a timber trellis, or a slatted partition is positioned just outside the pool fence. A child might hold onto the pool fence and use the intersecting structure as a ladder to reach the top of the fence. In this case, a shield may be attached to the grill, trellis, or partition to block the footholds within 1200 mm of the fence.

A timber lattice runs perpendicular to a pool fence. A child might conceivably climb up the fence using the lattice as a ladder. The photo below shows a polycarbonate shield attached to the lattice to block access to its climbable surfaces. In this case, because the lattice is on the inside (pool side) of the fence, the shield only needs to extend 300 mm from the fence (the Inner Clear Area).

13. Close a gap under a fence or gate.

The pool safety regulations are fairly strict when it comes to gaps under fences and gates. The gap between the bottom of the fence (or gate) and finished ground level must not exceed 100 mm. Finished ground level means the hard surface of the ground once any loose surface cover (such as non-compacted soil, leaves, mulch, light stones and pebbles) has been removed.

If you find that your fence has gaps exceeding 100 mm, there are several ways you can reduce them:

Install heavy timber sleepers, preferably staked into the ground, or pavers, preferably concreted in place

Attach a transparent shield (we recommend 4.5 mm polycarbonate) to the bottom of the fence

Install heavy duty garden edging, preferably staked into the ground
Attach hardwood or treated pine strips to the bottom rail of the fence

Remove the fence brackets (or gate hinges) from the posts, lower the panel(s), and re-attach.

14. Deal with a non-compliance on the neighbour’s side of the fence.

A common problem pool owners encounter is a non-compliance on the neighbour’s side of the boundary fence. This may be as simple as a tree with a few climbable branches or branch forks too close to the fence, or as large as a major structure such as a raised deck or garden bed that is lowering the fence’s “effective height” on their side below the minimum 1200 mm.

There are multiple ways to deal with this situation.

Compliance is the pool owner’s responsibility — not the neighbour’s — but it is usually simpler and less expensive to correct the problem from the neighbour’s side if possible.

If the problem is fairly simple, ask for the neighbour’s cooperation. Ask permission to prune the offending branches from the tree. Ask them to move mulch bins, planters, leftover construction materials or rubbish at least 900 mm from the fence. Ask them to remove the wire mesh they have attached to their side of the fence.

If the rails are on their side of the fence and are less than 900 mm apart (and the fence is less than 1800 mm on your side so you can’t move the NCZ to the inside), ask permission to install splays (tilt battens) on the rails.

If you explain to the neighbour that you are paying for the work and that it will make their property safer (help to prevent children climbing the fence from their yard), most neighbours will understand.

If the neighbour will not cooperate, or you cannot contact them, or major works (such as removing part of a deck or cherished garden bed) would be required to make their side compliant, you have at least two options:

A. Raise your side of the fence to 1800 mm. If the fence is very nearly 1800 mm, you may be able to do this by digging a bit to lower the ground level, but be careful not to create gaps under the fence that exceed 100 mm. You may also be able to attach strong, smooth panels (such as 4.5 mm polycarbonate, exterior ply or hardwood) along the top of your side of the fence to raise its height to 1800 mm.

If the fence is considerably shorter than 1800 mm, you can attach 1800 mm high palings, closely spaced, on your side to achieve the height required. Ensure there are no footholds (such as strong tree branches, hooks, light fixtures or shed roofs) within the top 900 mm quadrant of the fence on your side, and that there are no stable surfaces close to the bottom half of the fence that a child could easily land on if jumping from the top of the fence.

B. Build an inner fence, so that if a child does climb the fence from the neighbour’s side, they are confronted with a second, compliant barrier. The inner fence may be as small as a simple L- or U-shaped structure (a corral) that meets up with the boundary fence (at least 900 mm on either side of the non-compliance), or as large as a new fence that completely surrounds the pool (an isolating fence). In effect, you are making the non-compliant stretch of fencing no longer part of the pool barrier.

This solution also works well to isolate doorways, non-compliant gates and climbable pool equipment.