Security Of Swimming Pool - Research Paper Example

Swimming Pool Security Name School Date Literature review Swimming is a great way of exercising but it has its fair share of fatal stories ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). A need to protect lives especially for school going children, the government put in place measures and guidelines to be followed. The introduction of the Swimming Pools Act of 1990, introduced the state governments to requirements that swimming pools had to follow when being constructed. The public raised concern about the need of raising swimming pool barriers to the new standards and in particular, there was an argument made on the special needs that would be justified to make deviation in some cases (Nixon, 2010). This made the act to be reprieved and a new one to be put in place in 1992 that incorporated the special cases noted such as the exemption of barriers ("Managing a cluster of cryptosporidiosis associated with a public swimming pool” 2006). In the 21st century, there has been a new wave of different ways of security using the best available technology. With technology such as infrared sensors that will detect unauthorized entry in the swimming pools has assisted the pool owners to stay ahead with security matters (Lehoczky, 2015). Children fatalities have since reduced because of the improved nature in which the security systems have taken. From a safety viewpoint, the security system and a combination of good practices that are followed to make the swimming pool environment much safer ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). The lack of supervision in the swimming pool makes the occurrence of injuries and fatalities in particular to small children makes the continued emphasis on security a primary factor that the local governments are focusing on. Security systems have made the swimming environment be safe and different safety practices, which can be instilled to the society, will greatly reduce the number of fatalities in the swimming pool (Beynon, 2014). History about the Act and the related regulations of the Australian swimming pool barrier is summarized in the table below. Table 1.1: History of NSW Swimming Pool legislation, regulation, and pool barrier standards Pool Build Act Regulation Australian Standard Date Pre 1 August Comply with Comply with Pre 1 August 1990 pools 1990 Swimming Pools Act Swimming Pools exempted from the standard 1992 Regulation 1992 under section 8 and small, large and waterfront pools also given exemption. 1 August 1990 Swimming Pools Act Swimming Pools AS 1926-1986 to before 1 1992 Regulation 1992 Exemptions to the standards September under sections 8, 9 and 1 for 2008 small, large and waterfront properties. Doors and window requirements in the regulation. 1 September Swimming Pools Act Swimming Pools AS1926.1 – 2007 2008 to 1 July 1992 regulation 2008, (1/9/08 – 1/5/13) 2010 commenced 1 September 2008 and Door and window amended on 9 April requirements in the Australian 2010 Standard. Clause 23 savings clause for 1998 regulation and AS 1986. 1 July 2010 to Swimming Pools Act Swimming Pools AS 1926.1 – 2007 end April 2013 1992 and regulation 2008 Amendment Act amended 1 May 2011, Act ends section 8, 9 and 10 2010 & 2012 with prescribed exemptions going forward standards reference from 1 July 2010. changed to the BCA 1 May 2013 Swimming Pool Act Swimming Pools Onward 1992 Regulation 2008 AS 1926.1-2012 Introduction of the Safety Barriers This act and the associated swimming pool act of 1992 mandated that all pools that have children using it should have child resistant barriers that surround the pool. Swimming pools were required to erect walls that would surround it and have an access point. The walls made sure access was only granted to the users of the swimming pool and not unauthorized people such as children without supervision. The Swimming Pool Act of 1992 made sure that newly constructed swimming pool are separated from the residential buildings using the barriers such as walls or fences. In this case, a residential building wall used as part of the barrier was accepted as long as there are no windows or doors on that particular wall. Pools constructed before 1st August 1990 were exempted from erecting the barriers if it was on a piece of land that was less than 230 square meters. Large properties and waterfront properties with more than two hectares of land, were also exempted them from construction of pool barriers (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). The four sided security barrier The Water Safety Advisory Council requested a review to be conducted on the Swimming Pool act of 1992 and it was initiated in 2006. The council identified that the type of barrier erected determines the risk of a toddler drowning or getting close the pool. A four-sided wall that is self-standing has a less probability of drowning cases than a three-sided barrier as found out in the report by the council of 2006. The council final report in august 2008 resulted to the formulation of the Swimming Pools Amendment Act 2009. The act of 2009 main objective was to achieve the high standards required for four sided barriers in the newly constructed swimming pools (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). In addition, the act was to remove all the exemptions considered for pools that were to be constructed after 1 July 2010 whether the pool was constructed on small or large property. Finally, the act made sure that the council investigates all complains in a more reasonable timely manner. All these amendments started taking effect as from 1 July 2010 ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). The Australian standards 1926.1-2007 of the swimming pool safety regulation required that all the pools constructed should be inspected after the completion of the barrier walls with reference to the Australian Building Codes (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996), This made sure that the security of the swimming pool was in line to the regulation put in place. This was as a result of further amendments done to the swimming pool amendments act in 1 May 2008. This act was implemented to further make the swimming pool are a much safer zone in which everyone could have the desired pleasure when accessed. Compliance of the Swimming Pools The number of child fatalities that were related to drowning in swimming pools, was on the rise after the 2009 amendment act (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). This prompted a further review of the Swimming Act of 2009 that was advocated by various pool safety people and discussion started afterwards. A final report was drafted after the discussion in May 2012 followed by the enactment of the recommendations cited which became the Swimming Pool Act of 2012 that took effect in 29 October 2012. The major amendments to the swimming pool act of 2009 are documented as follows: It was mandatory for all pools to be registered by the owner through the Swimming Pool register by 29 October 2013. Councils were required to develop and conduct risk based inspections and put in place education programs for consumers. In the same regards, the councils had to conduct mandatory inspection on multi-user pools in multi user accommodations that was to commence by 29 October 2013. The Building Professional Act was amended to a new certifier tier, E1. The new pool barrier certifier required the Building Professional Board to accredit and be an oversight to this class of certifier. The conveyancing and residential leasing legislation required vendors and property owners to obtain a compliance certificate for any property with a swimming pool. The property owner have three-year period in which the certificate was valid and thereafter the swimming pool had to go through another inspection. The amendment also gave power to the council members to enter properties that pools in which it was feared that the pool be not to standards. The amendments also reduced the number of swimming that were being exempted tremendously. The only swimming pools exempted from getting the compliance certificate were the one which had valid occupational certificated. The office of the register of swimming pools was in use as from 29 April 2013 giving the pool owners ample time to go register their swimming pools. The owners of the swimming pools were required to have a compliance certificate before 29 April 2014 but the date was later extended to 29 April 2016 giving room for everyone in the locality to register their swimming pools (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). Registration of the swimming pools has created a database to which the Local Government can use in case of any problem that will arise. Swimming Pool Regulation Swimming pool regulation is under the supervision of the Local Government and the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Local Government to ensure that all the swimming pools are compliant. The Building Professional Board does accreditation and oversight of swimming pool. In addition, the Building Professional Board certifies and gives compliance certificates to swimming pools that have passed all checks and balances (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). The acts and the regulations covers all types of swimming pools whether indoor and outdoor swimming pools on residential properties. All swimming pools are required to pass the accreditation process that is guided by the rules and regulations in the swimming pool act. The duties and responsibilities that are supposed to be done by the local government are documented below: a) The local government should ensure that they are aware of all swimming pools in the area. This is to make sure that incase anything happens in any swimming pool the local government has the knowledge of the owner and if the swimming pool is compliant. b) Promote awareness of the requirements and pool safety in its area. By doing so, the local government is able to educate the society on the various methods of first aid to be administered to people who have drowned. c) Investigate fully all complaints brought forward by either the users of the swimming pool or an anonymous tip. This makes the process be fully transparent and give a conclusive judgement and course of action to be taken. d) When requested by the owner, the local government is supposed to inspect the swimming pools. If a swimming pool owner has made changes to the pool, then he has the mandate to ask the local government to do an inspection. e) A report on the inspection done each year is supposed to be released at the end of each physical year. This will form a guideline, which people can use when making changes to the swimming pool. In addition, it provides a basis to which the public can be able to gauge the work being done by the local authority. f) A notice is issued first before action is taken of the compliance breach. This cushions the local government of the action that will be taken afterwards. The notice also gives a chance to the owner to make the necessary changes before action is taken. g) The council can provide exemption from barriers to certain pools where the application of standard is impractical. Some designs of swimming pool makes the creation of barriers be a hard task. The local government has the power to accredit these swimming pools if they meets the standards set by the Building professional board. h) The council is able to do urgent correction of a non-compliance swimming pool through inspection and issuance of a certificate. Nixon 2010, local Governments have the power to conduct impromptu visits to any premise. The mandate of the council with the power vested in them to enter any premise and conduct an inspection of the swimming pool at a stipulated fee for inspection. Role and Responsibility of Accredited Pool Certifiers The accreditation pool certifiers are the people tasked with the maintenance of the proper standards that is required in swimming pool protection ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). The roles of the accreditation people are, a) Maintain accreditation of certified swimming pools by continuous inspection of the swimming pools and constant checks. b) They can conduct inspection on the owners request and apply the standards and legislation conditions issuing a compliance certificate where the swimming pool is compliant and issuing a notice where the swimming pool is not compliant. c) If notice is issued, it is their responsibility to notify the council of those swimming pools if they are a serious risk to those people who use them. Responsibilities of the Pool Owners The owners of the swimming pools have responsibilities to abide by. The pool owners are required to: a) Register their pools to the state pool register. This will assist the local government have proper knowledge of all the swimming pools in the locality. b) Before selling or leasing the property with the pool, the owners has to provide for a valid compliance certificate. c) The pool owner is required to provide for adequate space for the barriers to be erected as stipulated in the barrier standards and regulations. d) The owner should ascertain that the pool barrier standards have been followed to the later when erecting the barriers. Pool Barrier Requirements The requirements for pool barriers contain various specifications that are used to make a swimming pool compliant ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). These requirements are as follows: a) All swimming pools should surrounded by a child resistant pool barrier separating the swimming pool from the residential building and be in line with the regulation. If the premises wall facing the swimming pool has no openings then it can be utilized as one of the barrier walls. b) The barriers must always be in good shape and the entrance to the swimming pool should always be kept secure. c) Warning signs should be erected and all the required information clearly displayed. d) All indoor swimming pools should conform to the regulation and standards set Pool Barrier Exemptions Swimming pools can be exempted from erecting barriers if they are (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996): a) If the swimming pool was constructed before 1 August 1990 or on a small property less than 230 square meters and built before 1 July 2010 do not necessarily have barriers. The reason for not having barrier is that, if the access to the swimming pool from the residential area is in line with the regulation then the swimming pool does not require the barriers. b) If the swimming pool was in a large estate with more than two hectares or a waterfront property with pools installed that were built before 1 August 1990 did not require the barriers. c) Movable swimming pools and tourist and visitors accommodation that were built before 1 May 2013 did not require barriers. It was argued out that the swimming pool is not part of the structure. d) Spa pools have their own rules and regulation to abide to that require a cover. Spas are not guided by far much different guidelines as the swimming pools, therefore, they are supposed to be accredited. e) Some swimming pool structures that were constructed and deemed impractical or unreasonable enough do not require the barriers. The exemption does not mean that the swimming pool do not have regulation (Hoffrage, Hertwig, & Gigerenzer, 2000). They have standards that have been clearly made for them to be accredited. If these swimming pools have undergone a remodeling or upgrade, then it is necessary for it to meet the current regulations. Registration of the Swimming Pools A central point was put in place to which all owners of swimming pools register their swimming pools (Lehoczky, 2015). This is a requirement by the local governments in order to have the necessary required information about swimming pools in the local government jurisdiction. Registered swimming pools are issued with a certificate of registration that confirms to the owner that the pool is in the database. This means that access to the swimming pool will be to the authorized people to which the owner of swimming pool owner allows (Nixon, 2010). Sale and Lease Requirement If a property is sold or leased after 29 April 2016 is required to have a compliance certificate issued by any of the authorized accreditation certifiers. This will make the new property owner or the next person to lease the property have a smooth transition in terms to abiding to the rules and regulation of the local government. The compliance certificate should be current meaning that the three year period should not be about to elapse (Hoffrage, Hertwig, & Gigerenzer, 2000). Appeals and orders The pool owners have the right to appeal decisions that have been made by the local authorities regarding their swimming pools (Beynon, 2014). If the pool owner feels that the decision made by the local authority regarding the swimming pool, then the act provides for an appeal to be raised to the Land and environment court. The local authorities also raise complains to the Land and Environment court for an order and makes them achieve compliance. Swimming pool safety alarm In the 21st century, new technology has been incorporated to the swimming pool security. The purpose of improving on the technology is to ensure there is an immediate need for an improved way to reduce fatalities in the swimming pools. With improved technology, there are now safety sensors that are capable of notifying on an imminent accident. With early notification people will have the ability to offer assistance to victims before it becomes fatal. A pool safety alarm is a system that is able to detect and notify people of an undesired entry to the swimming pool ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). This has assisted pool owners to significantly reduce on the occurrence of incidences that are related to children drowning. There are various kinds of pool safety alarms that can be used based on the technological know -how of the pool owner. Examples of the security warnings are: a) Infrared sensors The infrared sensors work in a way that they are able to detect wave in specified regions therefore raising an alarm to notify of an illegal entrance to the swimming pool. Human beings emit infrared waves that are detectable by the infrared sensors. The sensors have been made in such a way that it be able to prevent false alarm by the use of frequencies will be disrupted by the entry of an object to the pool. b) Sound waves detectors Use of sound are used in way that it is able to detect changes in sound wave frequencies due to entry of an object to the pool. The detector works by being pre-fed with a frequency. When an object enters the pool and if the frequency matches the pre-fed frequency then the alarm is set off. Innovation has proven to be the answer to the pool security. The benefit of this new technology is that they can be detected upon entry of small children. If the children do not have supervision then the alarm will be set off. In addition, it can also detect unwanted entries of strangers or animals to the pool. Beynon, 2014 et al, pool owners to make swimming a more enjoyable experience can use the use of these new security technologies. With every innovation there has to be limitation that accompany them. The main problem being the cost of incurred in maintaining the security systems which maybe expensive. The systems are not yet perfect meaning that there will be instances that the security systems will sound falsely. In addition, those systems have a challenge in terms of the energy source. Most of them use batteries but thanks to technology, they use solar energy ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). References Beynon, B. (2014). Risk management in outdoor and adventure programs: scenarios of accidents, incidents, and misadventures. Journal Of Adventure Education And Outdoor Learning, 14(3), 261-262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.870818 Hoffrage, U., Hertwig, R., & Gigerenzer, G. (2000). Hindsight bias: A by-product of knowledge updating?. Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, And Cognition, 26(3), 566-581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.26.3.566 Hogan, R. (2002). The crux of risk management in outdoor programs - minimising the possibility of death and disabling injury. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 6(2), 72 -- 76. Horwood, B., & Raffan, J. (1988). Recreation and education in the outdoors: exploring the boundaries. CAHPER Journal(May/June), 7-9. Lehoczky, A. (2015). On the Swimming Pool. English, 64(245), 131-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/english/efv007 Managing a cluster of cryptosporidiosis associated with a public swimming pool. (2006).NSW Public Health Bull., 17(6), 80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/nb06019 Nixon, J. (2010). Swimming pools and drowning. Australian Journal Of Public Health, 18(1), 3-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.1994.tb00183.x Office of Local Government, Practice Note 17,Application of section 22 of the Swimming Pools Act,1992, March 2014 P. Sayer, G., Steele, P., Bray, C., & Plumridge, K. (1996). Swimming Pools Act 1992: Regulation and compliance in Newcastle, NSW. NSW Public Health Bull., 7(8), 83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/nb96025 Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com. (2016). Swimmingpool.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016, from http://www.swimmingpool.com/pool-living/pool-safety Read More

Large properties and waterfront properties with more than two hectares of land, were also exempted them from construction of pool barriers (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). The four sided security barrier The Water Safety Advisory Council requested a review to be conducted on the Swimming Pool act of 1992 and it was initiated in 2006. The council identified that the type of barrier erected determines the risk of a toddler drowning or getting close the pool. A four-sided wall that is self-standing has a less probability of drowning cases than a three-sided barrier as found out in the report by the council of 2006.

The council final report in august 2008 resulted to the formulation of the Swimming Pools Amendment Act 2009. The act of 2009 main objective was to achieve the high standards required for four sided barriers in the newly constructed swimming pools (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). In addition, the act was to remove all the exemptions considered for pools that were to be constructed after 1 July 2010 whether the pool was constructed on small or large property. Finally, the act made sure that the council investigates all complains in a more reasonable timely manner.

All these amendments started taking effect as from 1 July 2010 ("Pool Safety | SwimmingPool.com", 2016). The Australian standards 1926.1-2007 of the swimming pool safety regulation required that all the pools constructed should be inspected after the completion of the barrier walls with reference to the Australian Building Codes (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996), This made sure that the security of the swimming pool was in line to the regulation put in place. This was as a result of further amendments done to the swimming pool amendments act in 1 May 2008.

This act was implemented to further make the swimming pool are a much safer zone in which everyone could have the desired pleasure when accessed. Compliance of the Swimming Pools The number of child fatalities that were related to drowning in swimming pools, was on the rise after the 2009 amendment act (P. Sayer, Steele, Bray, & Plumridge, 1996). This prompted a further review of the Swimming Act of 2009 that was advocated by various pool safety people and discussion started afterwards. A final report was drafted after the discussion in May 2012 followed by the enactment of the recommendations cited which became the Swimming Pool Act of 2012 that took effect in 29 October 2012.

The major amendments to the swimming pool act of 2009 are documented as follows: It was mandatory for all pools to be registered by the owner through the Swimming Pool register by 29 October 2013. Councils were required to develop and conduct risk based inspections and put in place education programs for consumers. In the same regards, the councils had to conduct mandatory inspection on multi-user pools in multi user accommodations that was to commence by 29 October 2013. The Building Professional Act was amended to a new certifier tier, E1.

The new pool barrier certifier required the Building Professional Board to accredit and be an oversight to this class of certifier. The conveyancing and residential leasing legislation required vendors and property owners to obtain a compliance certificate for any property with a swimming pool. The property owner have three-year period in which the certificate was valid and thereafter the swimming pool had to go through another inspection. The amendment also gave power to the council members to enter properties that pools in which it was feared that the pool be not to standards.

The amendments also reduced the number of swimming that were being exempted tremendously. The only swimming pools exempted from getting the compliance certificate were the one which had valid occupational certificated. The office of the register of swimming pools was in use as from 29 April 2013 giving the pool owners ample time to go register their swimming pools. The owners of the swimming pools were required to have a compliance certificate before 29 April 2014 but the date was later extended to 29 April 2016 giving room for everyone in the locality to register their swimming pools (P.

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