CPR signage & Pool Safety

Knowing CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can save lives and can help to reduce serious water related incidents.

Whilst only some regions legislate the requirement for CPR signage to be placed near or in the immediate vicinity of the pool or spa environment. We recommend that every pool and spa owner display one prominently near the pool (ideally near the step area as this is the most likely place a rescue & resuscitation will take place).

CPR signage for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation follows guidelines prescribed by the Australian Resuscitation Council.

The Basic steps of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation are D-R-S-A-B-C-D

• DANGERS - Check for danger (hazards/risks/safety)

• RESPONSIVENESS - Check for response (if unresponsive)

• SEND - Send for help

• AIRWAY - Open the airway.

• BREATHING - Check breathing (if not breathing / abnormal breathing)

• CPR - Start CPR (give 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths)

• DEFIBRILLATION - Attach an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as soon as available and follow the prompts.

Recommendations

The Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) makes the following recommendations:

1. Rescuers must start CPR if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

2. Bystander CPR should be actively encouraged.

3. Compression-to-ventilation ratio be 30:2 for all ages.

4. All rescuers perform chest compressions for all who are not breathing normally. Rescuers who are trained and willing to give rescue breaths are encouraged to do so.

5. Chest compressions should be provided at a rate of approximately 100 - 120 /min.

6. Rescuers should aim to minimise interruptions to chest compressions.

*Please note this is general information and does not substitute for proper First Aid training.

Pool & Spa Registration, Barrier Inspections & Compliance.

All swimming pools and spas in Victoria must be registered with the applicable local council. All pools & spas capable of containing water greater than 300mm (30cm) must also have a compliant safety barrier (fences & gates) to restrict access to the pool area by young children (under the age of five).

To comply your barriers with the relevant standard, you must have a registered barrier inspector, come to your property, inspect your barriers and you’ll need to make any recommended repairs advised by the inspector, before obtaining a Certificate of Compliance, which then needs to be presented to your local council also.

You can use these checklists to get a head start on your compliance, however, these are NOT a substitute for a Certificate of Compliance.

• Checklist 1 (for pools and spas installed before 8 April 1991)

• Checklist 2 (for pools and spas installed between 8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010)

• Checklist 3 (for pools and spas installed from 1 May 2010)

Inspection & lodgement deadlines

• For pools and spas constructed between 1 July 1994 and 1 May 2010, a certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged by 1 June 2022

• For pools and spas constructed between 1 May 2010 and 31 May 2020, a certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged by 1 June 2023

For more information on Pool & Spa Barrier compliance, please contact us.

References

https://resus.org.au/the-arc-guidelines/ (Section 8)
https://www.spasa.com.au/pool-and-spa-owners/faqs-tips-and-tricks/pool-and-spa-safety-rules
https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/inspections-and-compliance

Pool & Spa Fences & Gates

Update: 11 October 2021

New compliance certificate dates were deemed necessary to ensure that pool inspections can be done in an orderly and timely manner during the pandemic.

Compliance certificate must be lodged by:

• 1 June 2022 if pool/spa construction date = On or before 30 June 1994

• 1 June 2023 if pool/spa construction date = between 1 July 1994 until 30 April 2010

• 1 June 2024 if pool/spa construction date = between 1 May 2010 until 31 October 2020

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Every pool & spa must have a barrier and every child must be supervised. It only takes a few minutes for pool owners to check that their pool fences and gates, including latches and hinges, are in good working order. This simple routine done regularly could save the life of a child.

Pool and spa fences and barriers are required by legislation for any swimming pool or spa in excess of 300mm (30cm) in depth and must be maintained for the life of the pool or spa, this includes keeping the area around the safety barrier, free from climbable objects or plants that can be used to gain access to the pool area.

The key elements of the relevant Australian Standards are designed to restrict access by unsupervised young children, especially those under 5 years of age, to the swimming pool area.

*IMPORTANT: This is general safety information, Please make sure you are compliant with your local council and State govt. regulations.

SAFETY BARRIERS

• Essentially, a safety barrier can be made of any material that has a reasonable life span when exposed to the likely conditions of weather, pool chemicals, pollution, decay, insects, salt water spray, impacts, etc.

• Safety barriers must have an effective perpendicular minimum height of 1.2 metres.

• Existing boundary fences can be used as a safety barrier provided that they are well maintained, at least 1800mm high measured on the inside of the barrier to a solid finished surface and have no climbable elements within 900mm measured from the top of the inside of the fence.

GATES

• These must open outward only (away from the pool area) and have an effective perpendicular minimum height of 1.2 metres.

• They must return to the closed position and engage the latch automatically from any position and not re-open without using the manual release mechanism.

• The latch release must be at least 1.5 metres above ground level unless it

  • (i) is inside the fence

  • (ii) can only be reached over or through a fence higher than 1.2 metres or

  • (iii) is 300mm below the fence top (no hand hole) or at least 150mm away from the edge of any hand hole opening.

• Latch releases less than 1.5 metres above ground level must be shielded so that no opening greater than 10mm is closer than 450mm.

• Any hand hole shall be at least 1.2 metres above ground level.

WALLS

• External walls of a building can be used as swimming pool barriers so long as they do not contain any doors opening into the pool area and windows are treated to prevent access to the pool area.

DOORS & WINDOWS

• Doors from a dwelling are prohibited from opening into a swimming pool area. The only exception is for doors opening directly to an indoor swimming pool or spa.

• Acceptable window fixing treatments are as follows:

• Those totally enclosed by screw fixed security screens that can only be removed by the use of a tool

• Those that are fixed so the window cannot open more than 100mm max

• Those with a lowest opening panel not less than 1.8 above the ground level to the pool area

• Those that have firm fixed metal fly-wire installed that is fixed to the building with fasteners that can only be removed by the use of a tool

We have a number of contacts for pool safety inspections, professional licensed fence builders as well as many gate, hinge and latch spare parts. Please contact us if you’re unsure if your pool fences & gates are up to standard.

NEW VICTORIAN SWIMMING POOL & SPA SAFETY LAWS

On 1 December 2019, new laws to improve swimming pool and spa safety came into effect in Victoria. It is now mandatory for owners of land where a swimming pool or spa is located to register their pool or spa with the relevant council.

Owners are also required to have their safety barriers inspected and to lodge a certificate of barrier compliance with their council. If a safety barrier is not compliant, it is the owner’s responsibility to make the barrier compliant.

Pool & Spa Safety - CPR

If you have a pool or spa, you must have a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) sign prominently displayed, ideally in eye-sight of the step area, as this is the most obvious place assistance would take place. 

Knowing CPR can save lives. It’s recommended that pool spa owners should be trained in CPR and have resuscitation skills. Remember, if someone gets into a dangerous situation phone your local emergency services.

Life Saving Victoria has a number of great resources for you to keep your family safe around the pool & spa, allowing you to relax and enjoy it!

Their Resuscitate checklist is:

• Check for danger to self, to bystanders and to the victim (Danger)

• Shout “Are you ok?” and gently squeeze the victim’s shoulder (Response)

• Send for help (Send)

• Clear and maintain airway (Airway)

• Look, listen and feel for breathing (Breathing)

• If no signs of life, commence CPR (Compression)

• If available, grab a defibrillator and follow the prompts (Defibrillation)

View their other pool safety services here - https://lsv.com.au/pool-safety-services

CPR signs

CPR signs must:

• be attached to the safety barrier of the pool or spa, or displayed near the water so that the sign is easily visible to a person near the pool or spa

• be at least 300mm by 300mm in size

• ideally, be made of durable and weatherproof material

• include a prominent statement explaining how to act in an emergency (e.g. call Triple Zero, stay with the injured person, provide first aid).

Please contact us if you require a new CPR sign for your pool area. You can purchase in-store or arrange for us to supply one at our next service.

CPR sign example - Life Saving Victoria

Life Saving Victoria

Life-Saving Victoria’s mission is to prevent aquatic-related death and injury in all Victorian communities. Their Vision is that all Victorians will learn water safety, swimming and resuscitation and be provided with safe aquatic environments and venues.

Visit https://lsv.com.au for more information about the LSV.

Pool Safety Guide

Having a pool is a great way to cool off, keep the kids entertained and keep fit. We've put together a short checklist of things that we think will help to ensure your pool is safe so you, your family, and your friends can continue to enjoy it all Summer!

The checklist features 8 parts; The swimming pool gate, swimming pool fence, around the swimming pool fence, supervision, pump, grates and suction, emergency preparation, chemicals & electricity.

We encourage all pool owners to make this weekend your home pool safety weekend before Summer.

Disclaimer: This checklist does not substitute for a full pool safety inspection and is for awareness purposes only.

#1 Swimming pool gate safety guide

• Must open outward from the pool.

• Must be self-closing and self-latching from any distance.

• The latch must be more than 1.5m from the ground.

• Must latch catch on the first swing.

#2 Swimming pool fence safety guide

• Secure and in good working order.

• No more than 100mm from the ground.

• Should be at least 1.2m high.

• No vertical gaps more than 100mm apart.

#3 Around the swimming pool fence safety guide

• Pool aids and toys should be stored securely and out of view.

• Objects that could be used to climb the fence should be removed from the area.

#4 Supervision safety guide

• Adult supervision in combination with pool fencing is the most effective method of preventing children from drowning.

#5 Pump, Grates, and Suction safety guide

• Always turn off the pump before removing lids, clamps, or connections.

• Ensure that no fittings are broken or missing

• Fix leaks immediately.

• Be aware that the filtration system is under a high amount of pressure

#6 Emergency preparation safety guide

• Up-to-date CPR and first aid skills

• Keep an up-to-date CPR sign in a prominent place in the pool area ideally near the pool steps - Contact us by phone, email, or come in-store to get a new CPR sign.

#7 Chemicals safety guide

• Store all chemicals securely, out of view, and reach of children.

• Always mix chemicals into the water, NEVER pour water into chemicals.

• Use chemicals in an open, well-ventilated area.

• When pouring chemicals into the pool, pour slowly & carefully to avoid splashing onto yourself or the surrounding area.

• Heavily dilute spills with lots of water and clean up immediately.

#8 Electricity safety guide

• Electricity and water do not mix. Keep plugged in electrical devices such as stereo equipment away from the pool and where puddles can accumulate.

• A residual current device (rcd) or residual current circuit breaker (rccb) can save lives.

For more information, suggestions, tips or to talk to us about getting a certified pool inspection, come in-store, call or email us today.