What Should You Know About Non Climbable Zone (NCZ)?

The Non-Climbable Zone is a crucial part of your swimming pool safety and without following the correct procedures, you could fail your pool safety inspection. Whether you plan to install your own pool barrier fence or hire a professional installer, there are some key points that you need to be aware of.

What is a Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ)?

The pool Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ) is the area that acts as a barrier around your pool fence; this was created with the Australian Swimming Pool Act 1992.

The Non-Climbable Zone helps to protect children from accidents and fatalities that occur around swimming pools. The pool Non-Climbable Zone ensures that no child is able to climb over objects such as horizontal rails, plants, garden furniture, or existing structures to get inside the pool area. This area is known as the Non-Climbable Zone and it states that no objects are allowed to be within 900mm arc of the pool barrier.

When you book your pool inspection to receive your certificate of compliance, the Non-Climbable Zone surrounding your swimming pool barrier will be one of the items on their checklist. This zone includes any objects within 900mm of the pool in an upwards and outwards direction, verandas, clothes-lines, trampolines, or any such structures.

In addition to this 900mm area, there are to be no objects or structures that will reduce the required height of the pool barrier to less than 1200mm. Examples include existing retaining walls, trees, decks, and stairs to name a few. If you have any items in this area such as powerpoints or even taps, a shield can be added over these items with a slant of 60 degrees to avoid being able to climb.

This zoning also includes restrictions within the pool area. On the internal side of the pool area, the pool Non-Climbable Zone states there should be a 300mm area between the pool barrier and climbable objects.

Types of NCZ pool fences

To create your Non-Climbable Zone around your pool area, you need to ensure you have the correct type of fencing. There is a selection of NCZ pool fencing that you can choose from to ensure that your pool passes your pool inspection.

Note that if you can’t create a pool fence Non-Climbable Zone of 900mm on the outside of your pool, or 300mm inside your pool area, you can alternatively raise your fence height to 1800mm according to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

NCZ Glass Pool Fencing

Glass is a great option for your NCZ pool fence as it provides no opportunity for footholds for children to climb. Glass pool fencing is also extremely tough and adds a high level of visibility to your pool area.

NCZ Metal Pool Fencing

For your pool fence Non-Climbable Zone, there is a wide range of metal fencing to choose from. For affordable and easy to install pool fencing options, aluminium fencing is a great choice and it comes in a range of colours and styles to pick from.

NCZ Wooden Pool Fencing

A wooden NCZ pool fence is another great option. Wooden pool fencing is a popular choice for boundary fencing and you will have no trouble in finding an installer who can help you.

The Benefits of Non-Climbable Zone

The pool Non-Climbable Zone is designed to keep children up to age 5 safer. Not only will you have the assurance that you will pass your next pool inspection test and receive your pool safety certificate, but you will have the knowledge that you have reduced the chances of an accident from occurring.

Safety and Security

A Non-Climbable Zone can vastly improve your safety and security around your pool area. By following the requirements of a 900mm barrier and a fence height of 1200mm, you can ensure that no child can climb into your pool area.

The NCZ helps to make sure that every child is safer around pools and reduces the number of drownings in Australia each year.

Increased Comfort

Your pool fence NCZ area will also increase your peace of mind and comfort, knowing that no children or pets can climb into your pool area unsupervised. When you own a property with a swimming pool, you become responsible for maintaining your pool barrier and safety standards, and your Non-Climbable Zone is a huge part of this. Gain the comfort in knowing that your swimming pool is safe by following the codes and regulations surrounding the non-climbable zone.

How to Install a non-climbable zone pool fence

To ensure that your pool fence is compliant, there are some rules that you must follow. You have the option of hiring a professional fence installer to help you, or if you are capable, you can install your swimming pool fence yourself.

Here are some of the requirements that you must adhere to when erecting a pool barrier:

Some requirements for creating a non-climbable zone

To make your pool barrier compliant you need to ensure:

The height of the pool fence is a minimum of 1200mm from the ground.
There are no windows or doors that open into the swimming pool area without security screens in place.
Any boundary fences that connect to the pool are non-climbable.
No climbable plants are within the Non-Climbable Zone.
Your fence is built on solid ground with a gap no greater than 100mm from ground to the bottom of the fence.
A shield is placed over any climbable objects within the Non-Climbable Zone with an angle of 60 degrees.

To learn more about your pool area in preparation for your inspection, you can access our free pool inspection guide.

Steps to take in order to create a non-climbable zone

If you are beginning to prepare your pool area for the installation of a NCZ pool fence and Non-Climbable Zone, you need to complete a few steps:

Ensure your fence is installed on solid ground. Sand or loose garden mulch can easily be removed and children may be able to crawl under the gap in the fence.
Take note of what materials you are using for your pool fence Non-Climbable Zone. In addition to ensuring your fence cannot be climbed, pick a material that will last for years to come to get the most out of your investment.
Remove any vegetation that is within the pool fence Non-Climbable Zone. (900mm above and surrounding your external barrier, and 300mm within the internal of your pool barrier).
Once you have installed your pool barrier and created your pool fence Non-Climbable Zone, you can book in your pool inspection so you can receive your pool safety certificate.

Conclusion

The Non-Climbable Zone surrounding a swimming pool is a vital part of your pool safety and can save lives.

In order to achieve your Non-Climbable Zone around your swimming pool you must:

Have a Non-Climbable Zone of 900mm surrounding your external pool barrier.
Have a Non-Climbable Zone of 300mm surrounding your internal pool barrier.
Have a pool barrier of a minimum height of 1200mm.
Remove any climbable vegetation or objects that interfere with your NCZ.

Search for an inspector near you by searching for pool inspections Brisbane or Gold Coast pool inspections, alternatively you can search by location. Get your pool safety up to speed today