“Death Trap” Pools Under Spotlight

As warmer weather approaches, Ace is issuing a stern warning has been issued for apartment and townhouse owners in Queensland to be on top of pool safety in their community.

The Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report released this week, identified a 32 percent increase in the number of fatal drownings of children under four years of age since last year, and we are urging apartment and townhouse owners to be proactive, and double check their pool safety.

At Ace, we want bodies corporate to understand it is up to them to get the little things right, so that tragedies don’t happen.

The difference between a safe pool, and one that has all the makings of a death trap, comes down to small tasks like pool safety maintenance, and we’re encouraging bodies corporate to ensure they are up to date ASAP. The 44 pool drownings reported by Royal Life Saving Society Australia from the last year highlight how crucial it is that pools in strata communities are in an adequate condition, and all maintenance and repairs are carried out correctly and when needed.

All the evidence suggests that a large number of child drowning incidents occur as a result of pool fencing that is faulty or non-compliant with Australian Standards and there’s a big question mark over the compliance of pools in every council area, including those in Queensland. We’re desperately urging bodies corporate responsible for pool maintenance not to leave their inspections until it’s too late.

Last summer, we became aware of several council audits in New South Wales and Victoria which identified upwards of 80% of local backyard and community pools as unsafe, and we’re very concerned that holds true for countless regions this year.

Delays now that the weather is warming up could mean that lives will be left at risk, and it is not something that communities can afford, especially with the number of families now calling apartments and townhouses home. Alongside active supervision of children, bodies corporate must check that their pools are safe and to contact the body corporate manager if parts such as fencing are inadequate.

Because pools in a strata community are often used more frequently due to their shared environment, a high standard of pool maintenance will need to be provided on a more regular basis.

Regular and proper care and maintenance should be a key priority over these popular seasons for pool use, but bodies corporate must also keep up to date with the necessary regulations to make sure everything is being done appropriately if we are to prevent any unnecessary health and safety risks.

Ultimately, optimising the safety of your body corporate when it comes to maintenance issues, from pool safety through to issues like fire safety can greatly benefit from the presence of a suitably qualified strata manager.