Drowning is the third most common cause of death for Australian children aged one to 14. Children can drown in as little as 20 seconds – one-and two-year-old children are particularly at risk, read more and find out about Water Safety Rules for Children. Statistical evidence shows that the majority of drowning deaths in private swimming pools involve children under five years of age. For this reason, the requirements established by a new Draft Standard on Swimming and Spa pools are directed at achieving a barrier that will make it difficult for a young child to gain access to a pool area, whether under, over or through the barriers.
The Draft AS 1926.1:2023 Swimming pool safety, Part 1: Safety barriers for swimming pools was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee CS-034 Swimming and Spa Pools, to supersede the 2012 edition. The objective of this document is to specify the requirements for barriers that are intended to restrict the access of young children to swimming pools. Major changes include location of plants, marking of gate latches, combined structures forming a barrier, and security of closure of gate latches. Standards Australia encourages views and input from a wide cross section of the public on a draft publication during the Public Comment stage. Create a free account when you login to Standards Australia Connect and browse in Drafts open for public comment Draft AS 1926.1:2023 Swimming pool safety, Part 1: Safety barriers for swimming pools, open for Public Comment until 14 December 2023. Find out more in the SA Public Comment Guide.
The Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) engages with these issues by supporting a representative to the committee which revised the standard. The CFA Standards Project ensures the consumer voice is heard in the standards development process giving the Australian consumer greater confidence in the products, services and systems they use. Find out how to get involved and make a difference here.
Standards make the world a better place and CFA representatives ensure the impact on consumers is always a central part of committee considerations. As a consumer, access to standards can help you become more informed about what to expect from product and service providers. You can view a standard free of charge in the Standards Australia Reader Room which provides limited access i.e. ability to view three (3) unique standards in one calendar year for a 24 hr period, find out how to access here.