Pool gate hinge regulations

Are my pool gate hinges compliant? The clause in the standard

A hinge is a small ledge on the outside of the barrier at a height a child can reach, which is why the standard treats it as a possible foothold. Clause 2.4.3 of AS 1926.1-2012 says, in full:

Gate hinges that protrude out from the barrier with a horizontal top surface depth greater than 10 mm and those that create an opening between the gate post and the gate stile of more than 10 mm shall not be permitted in NCZs 1 and 2. Hinges with a top surface sloped at 60° to the horizontal or more may be located within NCZs 1 and 2.

The two zones it names are both on the outside of the barrier. NCZ 1 is a 900 mm vertical plane on the outside face, which may sit anywhere within the barrier’s height or between its handholds and footholds. NCZ 2 is a quadrant with a 900 mm radius running down and out from the top of NCZ 1. Everything else about those zones, including the 10 mm rule for other ledges, is in the non-climbable zone rules.

So a hinge passes in one of three ways: its top is 10 mm deep or less, its top slopes at 60° or more, or it sits outside the zones because it is far enough from the other foothold or handhold. The gap rule is separate: a hinge that leaves more than 10 mm between the post and the gate creates a toe-hold even if the hinge itself is slim.

A pool gate hinge fails AS 1926.1-2012 if its flat top is deeper than 10 mm or it leaves a gap over 10 mm, unless its top slopes at 60° or it sits outside the 900 mm zones.

Pool gate hinges 900mm apart: two ways to measure it

Regulators turn the clause into a rule you can check with a tape measure, and two of them word it differently.

Queensland. The QBCC says hinges can be climbed by children if they jut out more than 10 mm, so they must be at least 900 mm apart from the top of the lower hinge to the top of the top hinge, or have a 60-degree safety cap added to the lower hinge if they are closer than that.

Western Australia. Building and Energy’s Industry Bulletin 123 says the lowest handhold must be at least 900 mm vertically from the highest foothold, and that the handhold or foothold on a hinge is usually its top surface, but not always, because upper and lower flanges can also form one. For simplicity, it suggests the bottom of the top hinge be at least 900 mm from the top of the bottom hinge, which it says ensures compliance regardless of the hinge’s shape.

The difference is the height of the top hinge. A worked example:

• The lower hinge’s top is 150 mm above the ground. The upper hinge is 100 mm tall, with its top at 1,100 mm.
• Top to top: 1,100 − 150 = 950 mm. That meets the QBCC wording.
• Bottom of the upper hinge to top of the lower: 1,000 − 150 = 850 mm. That does not meet WA’s simple rule, and if the upper hinge has a flange a child can grip at its base, the true handhold-to-foothold distance is under 900 mm.

WA adds a warning that matters for caps: some hinges with a 60° top have other horizontal surfaces deeper than 10 mm, and those surfaces are not permitted within the 900 mm area. A cap on the top does nothing about a flat flange below it.

Measure pool gate hinge spacing from the top of the lower hinge to the bottom of the upper one: if that is 900 mm or more, the gate meets both regulators’ wording.

Self-closing pool gate hinges: what the standard tests

Most pool gates close on spring hinges, so the hinge is also the self-closing device. Clause 2.4.1 of AS 1926.1-2012 sets three requirements that the hinges carry:

• Swing outwards, away from the pool area, with the arc clear of any building or doorway (cl 2.4.1.1).
• Close from any position: the self-closing device must close the gate from any position, from fully open to resting on the latch, with a stationary start and no manual force, and operate the latch (cl 2.4.1.2).
• Stay on: when the closed, latched gate is lifted upwards or pulled downwards with a force of 250 N, it must not release the latch, come off its hinges, or open the gap under the gate to more than 100 mm (cl 2.4.1.3).

A gate that can be lifted off its hinge pins fails the 250 N test however well it closes. A gate that closes from wide open but not from nearly closed points to the closing force, which on spring hinges is the tension; a gate that has stopped latching because the posts have moved is a different fault, covered in why a pool gate stops latching.

Western Australia applies AS 1926.1-1993 to barriers of pools installed before May 2016 and AS 1926.1-2012 after, and its bulletin says both editions limit projections over 10 mm and require them to be 900 mm apart, so the hinge rule is not new. Which edition applies to your pool depends on your state and when the pool was built, so check before relying on a clause number.

A self-closing pool gate hinge passes only if the gate closes and latches by itself from every position, including from resting on the latch, and stays on its hinges under a 250 N lift.

Pool gate hinge adjustment: what one maker’s instructions require

Spring hinges are adjustable, and the maker’s instructions decide whether an adjustment keeps the warranty. One major self-closing hinge maker’s instructions, in a version carrying its Australian address, require:

• Two hinges only: use only two of its self-closing hinges on any one gate, and remove all other hinges and closers.
• Equal tension in both hinges at all times. Tension is changed by removing the end cap, pressing down the spring-loaded adjuster with a large flat screwdriver and turning it to the next notch.
• Space them as far apart as possible for holding strength, which also helps with the 900 mm rule above.
• A gate stop, so the gate cannot swing back through the line of the fence.
• No petroleum lubricant: powdered graphite only, and keep the hinges free of sand and debris.
• Weight limits: its regular range self-closes gates up to 25 kg per pair, and its heavy-duty range up to 60 kg per pair. A heavy glass or timber gate on regular hinges will not reliably pass the any-position test.

Glass gates on top and bottom pivot hinges have their own dimensions in Figure 2.4 of the standard; ask the installer to confirm the gate was set out to it.

Swapping hinges is cheap, and checking the 900 mm costs nothing. If an inspection has flagged the gate and the fix looks bigger than hinges, how to pass a pool barrier inspection first time lists what inspectors check, Western Australia’s pool barrier rules covers WA, and when the job is a new gate or fence, compare pool quotes.

On one major maker’s self-closing pool gate hinges, both hinges must carry equal tension and the gate must not weigh more than the pair is rated to close.

Common questions

Sources

• Standards Australia, AS 1926.1-2012 Swimming pool safety, Part 1: Safety barriers for swimming pools, clauses 2.2, 2.3.3 and 2.4 (copy published by Ku-ring-gai Council)
• QBCC, gates, latches and hinges
• Building and Energy WA, Industry Bulletin 123: gate hinges in private swimming pool safety barriers, September 2019
• Building and Energy WA, swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements
• D&D Technologies, Tru-Close self-closing hinge installation instructions, TCA and TCHD models (manufacturer-published)

General information only, current at 2026-10-06. Pool rules differ by state and by council, and penalty amounts are updated regularly. Confirm your own obligations with your council or a registered inspector before acting.