Scope

This Guideline provides practical guidance for owners or operators of aquatic facilities on the type, quantity and location of safety signage needed within a swimming pool environment.

It includes information on planning for signage as well the specific application of signage with various aspects of a swimming pool and aquatic facility.

This National Industry Guideline applies to all Hotels, Motels, Camping and Caravan Grounds, Commercial and Public Aquatic Facilities, Learn to Swim Schools, and Body Corporate who own or manage an aquatic facility for the purpose of swimming or recreation such as a pool or waterslide. It may be used for Public Waterways such as Rivers, Creeks, and Streams.

These Guidelines have been developed by Royal Life Saving Society Australia under the National Aquatic Industry Safety Committee and includes key information for adoption by the Commonwealth, state and territory and local governments and owners and operators of aquatic facilities.

Background

This information was originally developed by RLSSA and SLSA and is now a part of ISO/AS/NZS 2416.1:2010 Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 Water Safety Signs.

Signage and the Law

Signs are intended to perform the function of impairing information to the public that would otherwise require the presence of a staff member. Appropriate signage should allow a person to make an informed decision about entering / using an aquatic environment under the control of the owner or operator of that Aquatic Facility.

In a legal sense courts have generally considered that the failure to provide appropriate information by way of a sign deprives the plaintiff of the opportunity to consider their actions/reactions to the physical circumstances surrounding them.

The law suggest that if it is ‘reasonably foreseeable’ that a person might suffer some sort of loss or harm because something someone else has done, then that person is owed a duty of care.

Legally the benefit of a sign is that it brings the ‘foreseeable risk’ to the attentions of the persons at that location. It is supposed to ‘add to the knowledge of the person who views the signs. If the person then elects to enter the area or participate in the activity and suffers injury as a result of the risk about which the warning symbol relates, then arguably the owner or operator of an aquatic facility has satisfied its duty of care and no liability should be attached to it. However the sign must be appropriate to the situation and placed in an appropriate location to satisfy that duty of care.

Extracted from Statewide Mutual ‘Signs as Remote Supervision’ Section 2 - Discussion.

Review of Australian Standard Symbols

The recent review of the AS/NZS 2416.1:2010 Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 Water Safety Signs and beach safety flags now show that warning symbols within a triangular shape, instead of the traditional diamond shape.

Within AS/NZS 2416.1:2010 Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 Water Safety Signs and beach safety flags the standards makes specific reference to allow warning signs within Australia to be depicted with both. The triangle shape has been introduced as the Australian Standard is also now an International Standard and the triangle is more widely used in other parts of the world.

Whichever option is chosen by the owner or operator of an aquatic facility it is important to ensure that a consistent approach is taken in respect to the message to the public.

RLSSA ACCEPTANCE AND RELEASE NOTICE

This document is a managed document. For identification of amendments, each document contains an issue date, number and a page number. Changes will only be issued as a complete replacement document. Recipients should remove superseded versions from circulation.

Authorisation:

Amendments in this Release:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

In the spirit of reconciliation, Royal Life Saving Society Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continued connection to land, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; Elders past, present and emerging.