Standards Australia develops guidance for aquatic inflatables

Standards Australia is planning to release an interim Australian Standard for aquatic play inflatables as of 1st July.

The Standard is being developed by Standards Australia's ME51 committee in response to plans for the national harmonisation of health and safety legislation by Australian state governments.

It also follows recommendations made in 2010 by Queensland Coroner Annette Hennessy at the coronial inquest into the drowning of a nine-year-old boy at Rockhampton's The Rock Pool Water Park in January 2007.

The Coroner made 16 recommendations following the death of the child who drowned after falling off an aquatic inflatable device.

With harmonisation expected to be in effect as of January 2013, the interim standard will provide engineers and consultants inspecting aquatic inflatables with criteria for their inspection.

Martin Stratford, Director of leading inflatable manufacturer Aflex is a member of the committee developing the Standard, with the committee making use of a document Stratford drafted in 2011 that inflatables encompassed aspects of the management of aquatic inflatables including basic operating procedures, set-up, rules of play, maintenance and, importantly, safety considerations.

The draft Aflex document can be viewed by clicking on the link below or via a Facebook comment tool.

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 development of the Australian Standard for aquatic play inflatables will be explained as part of the Aquatic Industry Forum at the upcoming Australian Amusement, Leisure and Recreation Association conference being held on the Gold Coast from 14th to 17th May.

Click here to view Aflex's draft document.