In a perfect world, society would not need cops because everyone follows the rule of law. Likewise, there would be no need for pool safety regulations because no one would ever die anywhere near a swimming pool.
Of course, we all know this isn’t true, and lawmakers have a responsibility to protect everyone in the community. This is especially true for children which accounts for the majority of pool-related accidents and deaths.
Why bother with pool safety inspections?
Simply put, leaving a big pool of water improperly fenced is a type of wanton disregard that can cost lives. Some people may not be happy about current pool fencing regulations stating that the country is turning into a baby-sitter state.
You might think that all that is required is for parents and guardians to start watching their kids closely around swimming pools. If that were true, then lifeguards would be out of a job.
It is ridiculous to expect parents to hover around their children all the time.
What about the children from next door who are at home playing in the backyard after school. These kids find out that you have a pool, and no one is around. Children are inquisitive by nature and finding a way through your property is an adventure. If your pool doesn’t have a fence, then nothing is stopping them from jumping into the pool unsupervised.
What to expect if there is an accident and you didn’t get your pool inspected?
As you might imagine, pool owners can be held liable if anything unfortunate should happen to the children in situations like the one described above. In this case, there will be an inquiry and pool owners will have to answer to the following:
- How did the children enter your property? Don’t you have a lock and was it working properly?
- Why was it so easy for them to climb the fence?
- Was your pool adequately fenced?
- Can you present your pool security compliance certificate?
As you might imagine, you can get into much trouble if your answers seem lacking. This might suggest some negligence on your part. Besides, even without an inquiry, most people wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that they could have done something to save lives but didn’t. More so if the accident involves your children or somebody else that you hold dear.
If you don’t want to make sure that you don’t ever have to deal with any of the problems mentioned above, then there’s no way around pool safety inspections in Brisbane.
Bear in mind that lawmakers have already enacted pool safety laws and that these regulations have been around a long time. Pool safety inspectors did not write said laws, nor do they hold any sway over it. All that they can do is help their clients comply with current pool fencing regulations. The latter is not open to discussion — if your pool has no fence or is less than 120 cm high, then the structure is unlawful, and owners have a responsibility to enact the necessary improvements to stem any safety concerns in the future.