NCC 2019 Volume One Amendment 1
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Part G1 Minor structures and components

Part G1 Minor structures and components

Performance Requirements

GP1.1 Swimming pool drainage

NT GP1.1

A swimming pool must have adequate means of draining the pool in a manner which will not—

(a)

cause illness to people; or

(b)

affect other property.

The Objective of this Part is to—

(a)

safeguard people from illness caused by the discharge of swimming pool waste water; and

(b)

protect other property from damage caused by the discharge of swimming pool waste water; and

(c)

safeguard young children from drowning or injury in a swimming pool; and

(d)

safeguard people from drowning or injury due to suction by a swimming pool water recirculation system; and

Application

Application

GO1(d) only applies to a swimming pool with a depth of water more than 300 mm.

(e)

safeguard occupants from illness or injury resulting from being accidentally locked inside spaces which are designed to be entered for short periods of time only and in which occupation for longer periods may be hazardous; and

(f)

safeguard young children in outdoor play spaces.

Application

Application

GO1(f) only applies to a Class 9b early childhood centre.

Coverage

GO1 relates to three distinct matters:

  • GO1(a)–(d)—swimming pools;
  • GO1(e)—the risk of people being locked in confined spaces; and
  • GO1(f)—outdoor play spaces in an early childhood centre.
Swimming pools—GO1(a)–(d)

GO1(a) aims to minimise health risks to people from discharged waste water from a swimming pool. Such waste can spread disease.

GO1(b) relates to drainage from a swimming pool to protect other property from damage.

GO1(c) relates to preventing access of young children to swimming pools.

GO1(d) aims to prevent injury or drowning of people due to suction from a swimming pool recirculation system.

Accidental locking in small spaces—GO1(e)

GO1(e) aims to prevent illness or injury to people from being locked in small spaces which are only intended to be entered for short periods (e.g. cool rooms).

Early childhood centres—GO1(f)

GO1(f) aims to safeguard young children in an early childhood centre when playing in outdoor play spaces.

Adequate means for the disposal of swimming pool water and drainage is to be provided to a swimming pool.

Swimming pool drainage

GF1.1 controls the drainage and disposal of water from swimming pools.

A swimming pool is to be provided with—

(a)

means of restricting access by young children to it; and

(b)

means to reduce the possibility of a person being entrapped or injured due to suction by a water recirculation system.

Application

Application

GF1.2(b) only applies to a swimming pool with a depth of water more than 300 mm.

Swimming pools—access for young children GF1.2(a)

GF1.2(a) controls access by young children to swimming pools. This is to provide protection from illness, injury and death resulting from unsupervised access to swimming pools. Accordingly, systems designed as alternatives to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions must be designed, approved and installed to provide equivalent restrictions to a young child.

Swimming pools—recirculation systems GF1.2(b)

GF1.2(b) controls swimming pool recirculation systems to reduce the possibility of people being entrapped or injured by the suction from the system.

Any refrigerated or cooling chamber, strong-room and vault or the like that is capable of accommodating a person is to have safety measures to facilitate escape and for alerting people outside such a space in the event of an emergency.

Accidental locking in small spaces

GF1.3 aims to make sure that people in confined spaces, such as cooling chambers, strong rooms and vaults, are able to:

  • leave the space if the door accidentally closes; and
  • alert people outside the confined space if there is an emergency.

An outdoor play space is to be provided with a means of restricting the passage of children to outside of the play space.

Application

Application

GF1.4 only applies to a Class 9b early childhood centre.

Early childhood centres

GF1.4 aims to restrict the passage of children to the outside of an outdoor play space located in a Class 9b early childhood centre.

GP1.1 relates to swimming pool drainage in two basic ways:

Prevention of illness—GP1.1(a)

To comply with GP1.1(a), it will generally be necessary that water must drain away from the pool surrounds and not flow on to the same or adjoining property. Such pooling could cause illness through:

  • excessive moisture conditions degrading any building; and
  • the creation of disease breeding grounds.

GP1.1(a) also aims to ensure that water is not left in puddles where people could slip. Water should not be left under decking, creating conditions for mosquito breeding and unhealthy pools of stagnant water.

Protection of other property from damage—GP1.1(b)

GP1.1(b) requires that pool water not affect other property. Measures must be taken to ensure that water drained from a pool does not affect other buildings.

No Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for GP1.1

There are no Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for GP1.1. This is because the solution to compliance with GP1.1 will vary considerably from allotment to allotment. This does not alter the fact that compliance must be achieved with GP1.1.

GP1.2 Swimming pool access and water recirculation systems

ACT Appendix

NSW GP1.2(a)

N T GP1.2(a)

Qld GP1.2(a)

SA GP1.2

T as GP1.2(a)

Vic GP1.2(a)

(a)

A barrier must be provided to a swimming pool and must—

(i)

be continuous for the full extent of the hazard; and

(ii)

be of a strength and rigidity to withstand the foreseeable impact of people; and

(iii)

restrict the access of young children to the pool and the immediate pool surrounds; and

(iv)

have any gates and doors fitted with latching devices not readily operated by young children, and constructed to automatically close and latch.

(b)

A swimming pool water recirculation system must incorporate safety measures to avoid entrapment of, or injury to, a person.

SA GP1.2(c)

Application

Application

GP1.2(b) only applies to a swimming pool with a depth of water more than 300 mm.

Swimming pools—access for young children

GP1.2(a) relates to swimming pool barriers. Swimming pool safety fencing should be constructed so as to be impenetrable by young children, having regard to:

  • the height and rigidity of the fence;
  • any horizontal climbable members;
  • openings and footholds in the fence; and
  • the operation of self-closing and latching gates.

GP1.2(a)(i) requires barriers be continuous. However, the barrier does not have to be a single form or type of construction (eg: it may consist of allotment fences in combination with building walls).

A barrier must have sufficient structural strength to withstand people leaning or falling against it. Guidance on suitable structural loading criteria can be obtained from AS 1926.

GP1.2(a)(iii) requires that young children be prevented from entering the immediate pool surrounds.

GP1.2(a)(iv) requires any access gates or doors to be self-closing and latching.

Swimming pools—recirculation systems

GP1.2(b) requires a swimming pool water recirculation system to have appropriate safety measures to avoid the possibility of a person becoming entrapped by the suction of the system. Such entrapment in the past has led to injuries, and when it occurs under water, to drowning.

GP1.3 Cool rooms

Any refrigerated or cooling chamber, or the like which is of sufficient size for a person to enter must—

(a)

have adequate means of communicating with or alerting other occupants in the building in the case of an emergency; and

(b)

have a door which is—

(i)

of adequate dimensions to allow occupants to readily escape; and

(ii)

openable from inside without a key at all times.

Accidental locking in small spaces

GP1.3 relates to areas such as refrigeration and cooling chambers. It aims to maximise the safety of people working in them, by preventing them accidentally being trapped inside.

These provisions only relate to chambers of sufficient size for a person to enter.

GP1.3(a) requires a communication system to allow people within the chamber to alert others that they are trapped, etc. The communication system should be able to be seen or heard above any work going on in the building.

GP1.3(b) specifies that the egress route door must:

  • be of sufficient size for an adult to move through; and
  • be openable from the inside without a key at all times. (This provision overrides any corresponding requirements or concessions in Section D).

GP1.4 Vaults

Any strong-room, vault or the like which is of sufficient size for a person to enter must—

(a)

have adequate means of communicating with or alerting other occupants in the building in the case of an emergency; and

(b)

have internal lighting controllable only from within the room; and

(c)

have an external indicator that the room is occupied.

GP1.4 aims to maximise the safety of people working in strongrooms and vaults of sufficient size to allow people to enter.

Within the vault there must be:

  • means of communication with people in the building; and
  • an internal light controlled only from within the room (i.e. there must be no override switch outside the vault).

Under GP1.4(c), there must be an indicator outside the vault which clearly shows if it is occupied. The indicator should be clearly marked as relating to the actual vault.

GP1.5 Outdoor play spaces in early childhood centres

Fencing or other barriers must be provided around any outdoor play space, in which the design and height of the fencing or other barriers, including the—

(a)

design of gates and fittings; and

(b)

proximity of the barriers to any permanent structure on the property,

must ensure that children cannot go through, over or under the fencing or other barriers.

Application

Application

GP1.5 only applies to a Class 9b early childhood centre.

Tas GP1.6

Early childhood centres

GP1.5 aims to prevent children from going through, over or under fencing or barriers serving an outdoor play space in an early childhood centre. To prevent this from occurring, consideration needs to be made to the design of the gates and fittings in addition to the proximity of the barriers to any permanent structure on the property.