Feature gives current guidance on aquatic inflatables standard

With Standards Australia (SA) set to release an interim Standard for waterborne/aquatic inflatables, a recent feature in Australasian Leisure Management is providing aquatic and waterpark operators and inflatable suppliers with guidance on the development of the new regulations.

The two-part feature 'Fun and Safe on the Water'/ 'Standards Australia to launch guidance for aquatic inflatables' cover the development of the new Standard by SA's ME51 committee in response to plans for the national harmonisation of health and safety legislation by Australian state governments.

The interim Standard will address management and supervision issues following recommendations made in 2010 by the Queensland Coroner at the coronial inquest into the drowning of a nine-year-old boy at Rockhampton's The Rock Pool Water Park in January 2007.

Currently, manufacturers, suppliers and operators get their advice on the use of waterborne/aquatic inflatables from various sources: the North American ASTM standard; the European standard EN 15649: Floating leisure articles for use on and in the water; the Royal Life Saving Society Australia (RLSSA)

Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (GSPO) and manufacturer's own instructions

Explaining the GSPO, RLSSA National Manager - Aquatic Industry Services Matt Griffiths states "the GSPO includes a specific guideline regarding use of pool inflatables in the Supervision section. Guideline SU13 Inflatable Play Equipment is an essential resource for any pool operator who uses inflatable play equipment within their centre and provides guidance on safety considerations when operating an inflatable. It should be noted that SU13 cannot be read in isolation as a number of other Guidelines will apply including SU1 Bather Supervision, GO7 Risk Management and a range of others referred to throughout.

"Most importantly, SU13 requires operators to undertake a detailed risk assessment of the pool inflatable and its use and provides a list of the most common concerns. While this list gives the most common areas of concern, it is not exhaustive and operators should extend their risk assessment to consider all areas of the facility while the inflatable is in use. It is not uncommon for operators to fail to consider the affect an inflatable will have on supervision in other areas of the facility as amusements draw so much attention, particularly if used as part of a special event or have been heavily promoted."

Meanwhile in Western Australia, Royal Life Saving Society Australia (Western Australia) on behalf of LIWA Aquatics, has undertaken a project to review safety issues arising from the use of inflatable devices at public swimming pools.

The project gathered information from 10 aquatic centres that currently use inflatable devices.

The features Fun and Safe on the Water and Standards Australia to launch guidance for aquatic inflatables were published in the May/June 2012 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

Click here to check out suppliers of waterborne/aquatic inflatables in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Suppliers Directory.

2nd May 2012 - STANDARDS AUSTRALIA DEVELOPS GUIDANCE FOR AQUATIC INFLATABLES