Getting a swim spa is a good investment if you wish to stay healthy. Swim spas are a much better alternative to regular pools. With water jets in place, they offer the perfect way to swim against the currents to give your muscles a good workout. Swim spas are compact workout pools that are ideal for enhancing your swimming endurance when you lack the space for a large pool. Before you decide to buy swim spas, you have to consider the rules and regulations instated by the local authorities.
Laws For Small Swim Spas
If you plan to purchase a small swim spa, make sure that the surface area is less than 5 square metres. If the pool exceeds the five square metre mark and is deeper than the 400mm limit then it will be included in the ‘swimming pool’ category which will require fencing.
Sidewalls and Fences
Regulation and guidelines regarding the sidewalls and fences suggest swim spa owners to install sidewalks and fences to make it less accessible to children without adult supervision. Moreover, the regulation requires the swim spa area to be free from any clutter. Suitable barriers must include walls and gates to meet the Australian safety standards for pools. If you have installed sidewalls for protection, they must have adequate entry points and doors. The doors must have a lock to prevent unauthorised access, particularly by unsupervised children.
Boundary Fences
The boundary fence between the owner or occupier and the neighbours or any other public property must have a 1.8meter height. The fence must be within a non-climbable zone at approximately 900mm from the top of the occupier side of the fence.
Exemptions from the Standard Regulations
Different Australian states have similar regulations regarding swim spa fences and sidewalls. However, there are some exemptions to these rules. There are two main categories of exemptions to the allocated standards. The first category includes the ones effected through the BCA is a variation to the standard as it applies to that particular jurisdiction.
The second category is based on legislative exemptions on the said category of pools. Furthermore, there are other exemptions in other state-based jurisdictions where swim spas and pools at homes and other private or public properties require fencing. For example, the swim spas in New South Wales are delivered with a different pool fencing policy and some may require a lockable lid over the top of the pool to make it inaccessible unless authorised.
A single individual who will be responsible for it must operate the lid. The local councils in different states such as Queensland, NSW and Western Australia have to give their approval for alternative fences and other barriers. The owners are required to follow a strict code for ensuring the safety of everyone using the swim spas. Very large swim spas will require high fencing and adequate protection from slip and fall accidents.
