Free WHS Inspection (Aquatic Centre) Template

Purpose of the Free WHS Inspection (Aquatic Centre) Template

This Free WHS Inspection (Aquatic Centre) Template provides a structured starting point for systematically identifying and managing health and safety risks in your facility. Aquatic centres present a unique combination of hazards, including slips and trips on wet surfaces, risks associated with hazardous chemicals for water treatment, drowning hazards, and mechanical and electrical risks within plant rooms.

Regular, documented inspections are a fundamental part of a proactive approach to safety, helping your organisation meet its primary duty of care under WHS legislation.

Using a standardised template ensures that inspections are consistent, thorough, and recorded. It helps move beyond ad-hoc checks to a formal process that can be reviewed and audited.

This document covers key areas common to aquatic facilities, such as pool decks, change rooms, first aid facilities, plant rooms, and chemical storage, providing prompts to check for potential hazards and non-compliances before they lead to an incident.

How to use the Free WHS Inspection (Aquatic Centre) Template

To begin, download the template in your preferred format (DOCX for easy editing or PDF). The key to an effective inspection is customisation.

This template is a comprehensive guide, but every workplace is different. Walk through your facility and adapt the checklist to reflect your specific layout, equipment, and operational procedures.

You may need to add sections for unique features like water slides, wave pools, saunas, or onsite cafés. It is critical that you customise this document to reflect the specific hazards and control measures relevant to your site.

We provide this template as a starting point, and its effectiveness depends on your thorough customisation and implementation. Integrating this inspection process into your broader WHS management systems is crucial for ensuring findings are actioned and tracked.

The Inspection Process:

• Schedule: Determine the frequency of inspections (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly) for different areas based on risk.
• Assign: Nominate and train a competent person, such as a Duty Manager or WHS Representative, to conduct the inspection.
• Conduct: The inspector should walk through the designated areas, using the checklist to identify hazards or deficiencies. They should note any issues clearly.
• Report: Document all findings, including positive observations and areas needing improvement. For any identified hazard, note the required corrective action, assign responsibility, and set a due date.
• Review: Management and the WHS Committee should review completed inspection reports to identify trends, verify corrective actions are completed, and assess the overall effectiveness of safety controls.

For specialised equipment like pool access lifts, a dedicated pre-start check is often best practice. You can use our Free Pre-Start Checklist (Patient Hoist) Template as a foundation for developing this.

When to use it

Regular inspections should be part of your routine operational schedule. The frequency will vary depending on the area and associated risk level. For example:

• Daily: High-traffic areas like change rooms, pool surrounds, and entryways for slip/trip hazards and general tidiness.
• Weekly: Plant rooms, chemical stores, and first aid equipment to ensure they are secure, stocked, and functioning correctly.
• Monthly: Checks on less-used areas, review of signage, and inspection of structural elements.

Beyond scheduled checks, this template should be used after an incident or near miss, after the introduction of new equipment or procedures, or before a major event or peak season. These inspections supplement, but do not replace, the need for formal WHS compliance auditing, which provides a more in-depth, periodic review of your entire safety system.

Who should use it

This template is designed for use by various personnel within an aquatic or leisure facility. Primary users include:

• Facility Managers and Centre Managers: For overseeing the inspection program, reviewing reports, and ensuring resources are allocated for corrective actions.
• Duty Managers and Team Leaders: For conducting and signing off on routine daily and weekly inspections.
• WHS/HSR Representatives and Committee Members: For participating in inspections and reviewing findings as part of their function.
• Maintenance and Plant Room Staff: For conducting specific technical checks on equipment and infrastructure. A specific pre-start for plant room lifting devices is recommended; our Free Pre-Start Checklist (Electric Hoist) Template can be adapted for this purpose.

If you require expert assistance in customising this template or developing a comprehensive safety plan for your facility, our WHS consulting team can provide tailored support. Explore our complete free WHS resources library for other useful checklists and forms.