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Maintaining Swimming Pool and Spa Safety

With longer days and warmer weather approaching, many Victorians are preparing their home’s outdoor areas for summer and this is the time where home maintenance can play a significant part in the safety of your family.

By Portal Admin - 21st October 2016 - Back to News

Latrobe City Council's municipal building surveyor, Chris Watson, said that swimming pool and spa owners should ensure their safety barriers are properly maintained and working.

"It is the law that swimming pools or spas on private residential properties in Victoria provide safety barriers to restrict access to the pool or spa. The responsibility for safety barrier maintenance applies to all home-owners with a pool or spa, regardless of whether they have children living there or not. Properly maintained safety barriers around pools are a vital measure to help secure the safety not only of the home-owners' children, but also that of friends' and neighbours' children.

"Cleaning out your existing swimming pool so that it is ready for summer can be a timely reminder to check your pool safety barrier and perform any required maintenance," Mr Watson said.

"The building team at Latrobe City Council are available to answer all your questions regarding pool safety – either visit our website and look at our helpful checklist or call us.

"We want the community to enjoy being outdoors over summer but we must make sure that home-owners know their responsibilities," Mr Watson concluded.

Key maintenance areas to be aware of are:

structural soundness of the safety barrier

gates self-closing and self-latching mechanisms

shrub and tree branches trimmed so that they are not within 900 mm of the barrier

remove items such as toys, pot plants and chairs from near the safety barrier so they cannot be used to gain access to the pool

For more information on the maintenance of swimming pool and spa safety barriers including a comprehensive self-assessment checklist visit http://www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/Building_and_Planning/Building/Pools_and_Spas or contact Latrobe City Building Services on 1300 367 700.

Media Enquiries:

Media Relations Office

Telephone: 5128 5458

For general enquiries, contact Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com