Will your child and your neighbours’ children be safe while your pool is under construction?

Some types of pools need to be filled with water by the pool builder as part of the construction process. They can also be filled by other means including rain and reticulation. Statistics show that this poses a drowning risk for young children who may access the pool area unsupervised.

The pool builder is required under work health and safety (WHS) laws to protect people from harm to their health, safety, and welfare as far as practicable. This includes ensuring that the construction site is secure from unauthorised access, such as that of young children. This is generally achieved by using construction barriers (temporary fences), signage, and supervision, for the duration of the construction work.

The pool builder is required to ensure that the swimming pool and safety barrier comply with the building laws at the time of completion of the building work, generally at handover to the pool owner.

The owner/occupier is required to ensure that a safety barrier complies with the building laws on an ongoing basis, once the pool is complete and contains water that is more than 30cm deep.

Any safety and security concerns over a pool construction site should immediately be discussed with the pool builder. There are significant penalties under WHS laws for builders who do not comply.

Complaints about construction site safety should be directed to WorkSafe (1300 307 877) and the relevant local government.