Swimming Pool Fence Inspection Safety Questions & Answers

I am a property manager and I manage rental properties. Some lease expiry dates are May 2011. Should I arrange an inspection now or should I wait until May 2011?
Now. Whilst mypoolinspection inspectors can inspect your clients pools almost immediately, the pool fence may not be compliant. We expect that there will be serious demand for pool fence repairers. If the pool fence is non-compliant, you may have to wait months for repairs to be done. We recommend that you book now. We shall then be able to carry out re-inspections almost immediately.

I have doors from my house that open up onto the pool area. Does that comply?
No. The new Pool Safety Standard does not allow doors to open onto outdoor pool areas whether they have self closing devices or not.

Do Pool Inspectors have to have Insurance?
Yes. Pool Fence inspectors are required to have at least $1m Professional Indemnity Insurance, under State legislation. At mypoolinspection, we regard $1m insurance cover as inadequate to help the family of a tragic child drowning. mypoolinspection has $10m Professional Indemnity Insurance. We also have $20m public liability cover. Ask your Pool fence inspector how much cover he/she has.

There are lots of prices being quoted for pool fence inspections by different companies. How do I choose?
The price list for mypoolinspection is fully itemised and displayed publicly on our website. There are no tricks. We do not carry out minor repairs or charge ridiculous prices. mypoolinspection may not be the cheapest in the market, but our pricing is fair so that our customers will use us again. We are aware of the pricing structure of some other operators that quote very low for a First Inspection, but charge very high for a second inspection. We are also aware that some operators intend to quote low for a First Inspection and charge exorbitant fees for minor repairs. When shopping on price, ask your pool inspector his rates for re-inspections and minor repairs BEFORE you choose him for the first inspection.

Does the same pool fence inspector have to do a second inspection after repairs are carried out to a pool fence?
Yes. The Pool Fence Inspector is legally bound to re inspect the pool fence after repairs are carried out, to become satisfied that the pool fence complies. And, the Pool Owner is legally bound to use the same Pool fence inspector, so choose wisely.

Are all powder coated pool fence panels compliant?
No. There are quality, rigid panels and there are cheap, weaker panels. Manufacturers should build fence panels that perform to strength and rigidity testing, and they should make available test results to confirm that they perform to minimum standards. You can perform a simple test by squeezing two vertical members together to see how rigid your fence panels are. If you can open gaps either side by more than 100mm, they may not meet minimum manufacturing standards.

Part of my pool fence is also my boundary fence with my neighbour. Do we each pay half if that fence needs to be upgraded?
Not normally. If modifications are required to make the boundary fence compliant, it will be at the pool owners expense. If you and your neighbour both own pools, each of you may need to do something different to comply and each of you may need to pay your own expenses. If the boundary fence needs to be replaced because neither pool safety barrier is compliant, then costs may need to be shared.

Do all Pool fence Inspectors carry out minor repairs too?
No. Only Pool fence inspectors that also have a QBSA Builders (or tradesman) licence can also do minor repairs. If a Pool Fence Inspector tells you that they can do minor repairs, you should ask them to confirm that their Professional Indemnity and public liability insurance policies provide cover for the pool inspector while he/she is carrying out minor repairs. Most insurance companies don’t cover it.

Does mypoolinspection carry out minor repairs?
No. We are a Pool Safety Certification company and all we do is certify pool fence safety. We will not try to up sell you with a gate hinge or a bag of salt, and we do not try to profit from the sale of those products. In the opinion of mypoolinspection, selling products to you and then certifying them as being correctly installed is a “Conflict of Interest”. Consider this when choosing your Pool Fence Inspector.

We operate a resort, and the pool has no fence. Do we have to get a fence built?
There are 20 or more Resorts across Queensland, including Island Resorts, that have exemptions and those exemptions may continue to apply. Check with Department of Infrastructure and Planning if you are unsure. If you don’t have an exemption, but you believe you are entitled to one, contact the Department of Infrastructure and Planning.

I am a real estate agent, and I manage one rental property that has had 3 tenants in the last 2 years. If that happens again, will I need to arrange 3 separate inspections and pay 3 separate fees?
No. A Pool safety Certificate for a non-shared pool will expire after 2 years. You can use that same Pool Safety Certificate for all 3 tenants.

I am a real estate agent. Do I have to make a record of when the certificate expires, and arrange another inspection in 2 years? How will I remember?
If you use mypoolinspection, we will keep a record of the expiry date and contact you a couple of months before it expires. You will have no administrative burden. If you use another contractor, they may not provide this service.

What do I do if my neighbours trees are growing close to the boundary fence and make my fence non-compliant?
You can ask your neighbour to help out. Should they choose not to, you will be required to make the required changes on your side of the fence. As the pool owner it is your responsibility. mypoolinspection inspectors will be able to offer potential solutions after they have inspected your property.

I have a pool that has two entry gates and one is permanently padlocked. Does that comply?
The gates must comply with height requirements, gap requirements, and must be self closing and self locking. A pool inspector needs to test that they comply, so a padlock cannot remain locked during an inspection. As a padlock can normally be opened by a key, the gate must comply the same way a non-padlocked must comply.