[singlepic id=283 w=320 h=240 float=left]A free pool safety seminar will be held in Cairns tomorrow to help local pool owners prepare for Queensland’s tough new pool safety legislation.
Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt urged all pool owners to attend the information session at The Sebel from 2.30pm-6.00pm Friday, which will outline how pool owners may be affected when stage two of the State Government’s tough new pool safety laws come into effect on 1 December.
“These information sessions will be a great opportunity for pool owners to find out first hand if and how they are affected by the new laws,” Mr Pitt said.
“Pool owners will have five years to make sure their pool complies with the pool safety standard, or earlier if they sell or lease the property first.
“Mandatory pool safety certificates and inspections, will help save lives and make Queensland pools even safer.”
The information sessions, run by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, have been held at locations across the state since 18 November 2010.
Registration for the information sessions is not required.
The information sessions will cover the new pool safety standard, the role of pool safety inspectors and the pool safety register.
“Almost 400 Queenslanders have already passed the Pool Safety Council approved pool safety inspector courses and are in the process of being licensed,” Mr Pitt said.
“This is on top of more than 300 building certifiers already qualified to inspect pools and provide pool safety certificates.
“Approximately 140 people are booked to do the courses in coming weeks – with around 300 others on waiting lists throughout the state.”
The pool safety register is now available on the Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s website.
The register provides a resource for pool owners to help find licensed pool safety inspectors in their area.
Some of the major changes to be implemented from 1 December 2010 include:
- mandatory inspections by local governments for immersion incidents of children under five in swimming pools.
- voluntary reporting of immersion incidents by doctors and mandatory reporting by hospitals and the Queensland Ambulance Service
- child resistant doors that form part of the pool barrier will need to be replaced with a fence
- councils will no longer be able to have local pool safety laws where state laws apply
- wider application of pool safety laws to include indoor pools and pools associated with hotels, motels, caretaker residences, caravan parks, backpackers, hostels, mobile home parks and homestays
- all swimming pools must be included on the pool safety register by 4 May 2011
- fencing for all portable pools and spas deeper than 300 millimetres.
For more information visit www.dip.qld.gov.au/poolsafety
Recent Comments