Gates, latches and hinges | Queensland Building and Construction Commission

There are rules that must be followed for gates, latches and hinges to ensure pool safety.

Anyone who props a pool gate open, or otherwise interferes with a pool barrier such that it no longer complies with the standard, commits an offence under the Building Act 1975 and can be issued a fine or prosecuted in a magistrates court.

Gate rules

Pool gates must:

not open towards the pool
be self-closing
self-latch from any open position.

It's important to always keep the gate shut. This will stop young children from accessing the pool unsupervised.

Maintain your gate

Check your gate's self-closing and self-latching mechanisms by:

opening the gate to several positions and check it self-closes and self-latches securely from each position every time
check the latch can't be pulled, pushed or jiggled open from a closed position.
check there is no gap greater than 10mm around the latch handle to prevent a child inserting something into the gap to release the latch.

Maintain your pool gate regularly and follow manufacturer’s instructions to lubricate hinges as needed.

Latch rules

Outside latches

Pool gate latches on the outside must be:

at least 1500mm from the ground (measured from the finished ground level to the underside of the latch-release handle)
1400mm above the top of the highest lower horizontal member.

Inside latches

Pool gate latches on the inside must be:

at least 150mm below the top of the gate (or any hand-hole)
covered with a 450mm-radius shield (when the gate is closed there cannot be any gaps greater than 10mm within this shield) to help stop children from putting their fingers into the gap to release the latch.

Hinge rules

Pool gate hinges can be climbed by children if they jut out more than 10mm, so extra rules apply.
They must:

be at least 900mm apart from top of lower hinge to top of top hinge
have a 60-degree safety cap added to the lower hinge if they are closer than 900mm apart. You can buy safety caps from a hardware store.

Last reviewed: 30 Aug 2021 Last published: 30 Aug 2021