With many families migrating to the backyard swimming pool area to cool off, now is the perfect time to ensure pool fences are safe.

Home swimming pools can offer a welcome relief from Queensland’s heat but they can also be a potential risk for children.

State-wide pool fencing laws are enforced by local councils, including Logan City Council which is responsible for inspecting and issuing fines for breaches of the regulations.

Council is working with schools and real estate owners to ramp up the safety message ahead of the holiday period and throughout the summer.

Fencing and gate standards have proved to be effective. But Council warns that fencing and gate laws are just one part of the safety process. Adult supervision of children in pools is essential and can save lives.

The regulations apply to pool owners and rental agencies and are for all swimming pools or spas capable of holding more than 30 centimetres of water.

This includes portable and inflatable swimming pools as well as children's paddling pools.

It does not include dams, ponds or things like bird baths or fountains.

What to do:

• A “How to perform CPR” sign must be displayed
• Your fence must be at least 1.2 metres high
• The fence doesn't leave a gap of more than 10cm from the ground level to the bottom of the fence. You should be aware of changing ground levels or items like garden bed edges that may reduce this height
• The fence cannot have gaps of more than 10cm between vertical bars or sections of a fence
• The gate or access to the pool must be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch at least 1.5metres from ground level
• It is illegal for the gate to be propped open or tied back
• The gate must open by swinging away from the pool
• Objects that can be used to assist climbing the fence, such as furniture, plants and trees must be moved well away from both sides of the fence
• House windows that open onto the pool cannot open more than 10 centimetres (security screens can be securely fixed to window frames to ensure compliance).

What happens if my pool doesn’t comply?

If non-compliance is verified, fines can be issued against the pool owner or tenant. Individuals can be handed an on-the-spot fine of more than $900 and companies can be fined more than $2,500. Courts can issue fines of almost $20,000 for serious breaches.

Pools must also be listed on the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Pool Register (this can be done online and is free) .There are significant additional fines for failing to register a pool or spa.

For further information on pool safety and the requirements, please see Swimming pools.