Safety Tips

For Peace of Mind

5 May 2011

With the weather cooling down, backyard pools aren’t being used as much and pool maintenance can sometimes take a back seat. But now is a great time to carry out a thorough safety check of your pool to ensure peace of mind for you and your family.

For peace of mind

Essential pool safety tips for winter

Just follow these simple safety maintenance steps:

CHECK

Worryingly, a 2009 SPASA NSW pool safety survey found that 43 per cent of pool owners never check their pool fence. Fences require at least an annual check-up, whilst latches should be constantly serviced and always be kept in position, never propped open.

To meet regulations, the gap between the gate and fence must be less than 100mm, the latch must be more than 1.5m from the ground, and it should open outward from the pool.

In addition, make sure that tables, chairs and equipment that can be easily climbed by small children are not positioned near the pool fence.

FIX 

Winter is also a great time to check the surrounds of your pool. Replace loose tiles or pieces of broken decking to avoid nasty accidents. It’s also a good time to check your filter, pump, and chemical levels.

Pool_Safety_02In addition, if your filter sand has not been changed in the past three years now’s a great time to look at replacing the sand. If your pool has an unsightly staining it’s also a good time to fix stains, broken light fixtures, or re-lining a tired pool surface particularly if Black Spot Algae has been a problem in the Summer swimming season.

MAINTAIN

Fabulous for keeping a pool clean and maintaining the water temperature, pool covers are not magic carpets. If stepped on they can sink. Make sure your pool cover is fixed firmly in place.

Also, keep in mind that cleaning pavers is vital, as a slippery algae-ridden surface could spell disaster.

For a full winter check, call in the experts. Swimart offers pool fence and gate safety checks as part of a 94 Point Pool Checklist service. Our technicians provide a comprehensive audit, which includes checking your filter, pump, sanitation, salt chlorinator and the safe storage of pool and spa chemicals. Just contact your local Swimart store to find out more or to book in a visit.

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