--- title: "Evacuation Diagrams for Pools and Aquatic Centres AU" description: "A complete guide to evacuation diagram requirements for swimming pools and aquatic centres in Australia. Covers unique hazards, chemical storage, plant rooms, moisture-resistant placement, and AS 3745 compliance for council and private facilities." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-swimming-pools-aquatic-centres source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-swimming-pools-aquatic-centres --- # Evacuation Diagrams for Pools and Aquatic Centres AU > A complete guide to evacuation diagram requirements for swimming pools and aquatic centres in Australia. Covers unique hazards, chemical storage, plant rooms, moisture-resistant placement, and AS 3745 compliance for council and private facilities. _EvacPath Team · 2026-04-07 · 6 min read_ Swimming pools and aquatic centres have evacuation challenges that most other commercial buildings simply do not face. Wet surfaces, barefoot patrons, chemical storage, plant rooms, and the presence of water throughout the facility all create conditions that must be carefully accounted for in evacuation planning. Whether you manage a council-run leisure centre, a private swim school, a hotel pool, or a large water park, your facility is required to have compliant evacuation diagrams under [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010 and relevant state and territory fire safety legislation. This guide explains what makes aquatic facilities unique and what your diagrams must include. ## Why Aquatic Centres Have Unique Evacuation Needs The risks present in an aquatic facility go well beyond those found in a typical office or retail space. When an emergency occurs, your patrons are likely partially clothed or in swimwear, barefoot, wet, and in a high-noise environment where alarms can be difficult to hear over the sound of water. Several factors make evacuation planning more complex in these environments: - Wet and slippery pool deck surfaces dramatically increase the risk of falls during rapid evacuation - Barefoot patrons cannot safely traverse gravel, rough asphalt, or hot concrete in outdoor assembly areas - Chlorine gas or chemical fume events may require shelter-in-place rather than external evacuation - Plant rooms contain high-voltage electrical equipment and pressurised chemical dosing systems - Chemical storage areas hold concentrated acids and oxidisers that pose explosion and toxic fume risks - Indoor pools have elevated humidity that degrades standard signage and housing materials rapidly - Large pool areas have limited internal wall space for diagram placement - Patron density spikes significantly during school holiday periods and weekend peak times ## Legal Obligations: Council-Run vs Private Facilities Both council-operated aquatic centres and privately owned facilities are subject to the same fire safety legislation. AS 3745:2010 applies to any facility that has occupants, regardless of whether it is government or privately owned. State and territory building codes and fire regulations reinforce this obligation. Council-run facilities are often also subject to additional scrutiny during fire authority audits and building inspections. Many local governments include aquatic centres in their Essential Safety Measures (ESM) or fire safety certification programmes, meaning evacuation diagrams are reviewed as part of formal compliance cycles. Private operators, including hotel pools, apartment complex pools, private swim schools, and health clubs, are equally obligated. A pool that is accessible to tenants, guests, or paying customers is an occupied facility under AS 3745. The duty holder is typically the building owner, facility manager, or lease holder, and they are responsible for ensuring diagrams are current, correctly placed, and meet the standard. ## What Evacuation Diagrams Must Show in an Aquatic Facility Beyond the standard AS 3745 mandatory elements, floor plan, You Are Here marker, exits, fire equipment, assembly area, and emergency contacts, aquatic centre diagrams should reflect the specific layout and hazards of the facility: - All pool areas, including lap pools, leisure pools, toddler pools, and spa or hydrotherapy pools - Pool deck perimeter and all entry/exit points from the pool deck - Lifeguard stations and first aid room location - Plant room locations, clearly labelled (staff and authorised personnel only) - Chemical storage areas, including bulk chlorine and acid storage - Emergency gas shutoffs and chemical isolation points where applicable - Change room exits and emergency exit routes from wet areas - Kiosk, reception, and spectator areas with their own exit routes - Car park exits and assembly area location - Emergency shower and eye wash station locations (if present near chemical storage) Where a facility has multiple separate zones, for example, an indoor pool hall, an outdoor splash area, a gymnasium, and a function room, each zone needs its own diagram oriented to the viewer's position within that zone. A single diagram covering the entire complex is rarely sufficient on its own. ## Placement Challenges: Moisture, Humidity, and Weatherproofing Standard evacuation diagram frames are not suitable for indoor pool environments. The high humidity and airborne moisture in enclosed aquatic centres will cause paper diagrams to warp, fade, and degrade within months if they are not properly protected. For pool facilities, diagrams should be installed in fully sealed, weatherproof frames with UV-stabilised covers. Frames designed for outdoor use are generally appropriate for indoor pool areas as well. Diagrams displayed on the pool deck must also be able to withstand splash, steam cleaning, and the chemical-laden atmosphere common in chlorinated environments. Outdoor pool areas present their own challenges. Diagrams placed outside must be protected from direct sun, rain, and temperature extremes. Vandal-resistant tamper-proof frames are advisable for public facilities. The placement height requirements of AS 3745, 1,200mm to 1,600mm from floor level, remain the same, but the mounting surface may need to be a purpose-built post or wall bracket where permanent wall space is not available poolside. ## Chemical Hazards and Shelter-in-Place Scenarios One of the most distinctive hazards in an aquatic centre is the chemical storage system. Pool water treatment typically involves chlorine (either gaseous, liquid sodium hypochlorite, or granular forms), pH adjustment chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, and sometimes carbon dioxide or calcium hypochlorite. A chlorine gas leak or chemical reaction event may actually require staff to prevent patrons from leaving the building and exiting toward the chemical storage area. In some scenarios, shelter-in-place away from the source is the safest immediate response while emergency services are contacted. This should be addressed in the facility's broader emergency management plan, but evacuation diagrams must clearly show the location of chemical storage so that wardens and patrons can identify areas to avoid. Electrical hazards near water are another significant concern. Plant rooms contain switchboards, pump motors, and dosing equipment that present electrocution risks in a water leak or flood event. Evacuation diagrams should clearly indicate plant room locations, and emergency procedures should ensure that staff do not enter plant rooms during flooding or electrical fault events without appropriate authority. ## Outdoor Pool Areas and Water Parks Outdoor swimming pools, whether a simple backyard-style pool at a motel or a large municipal outdoor pool, still require evacuation diagrams if they are accessible to the public or to guests. The assembly area for an outdoor pool may be the car park, a grassed area, or a designated zone away from the pool perimeter and chemical storage. Water parks and splash pad facilities present additional complexity. These facilities typically span large outdoor areas with multiple attractions, queuing zones, and service corridors. Evacuation route planning must account for the fact that patrons will be distributed across a wide area, often with limited direct line-of-sight to exits. Diagrams should be placed at each attraction zone entry point, at the main entry, and in any enclosed building areas such as amenity blocks, food outlets, and first aid rooms. For facilities with both indoor and outdoor components, it is essential that diagrams for indoor areas show where the nearest outdoor assembly area is, and that outdoor diagrams, particularly those near chemical storage, direct patrons away from hazard zones rather than toward them. ## Patron Density and Peak Time Considerations Aquatic centres frequently experience significant variation in patronage. A lap pool at 6am may have a dozen swimmers; the same facility at 11am on a school holiday may have two hundred patrons including many children. Emergency planning must account for peak occupancy, not average occupancy. This affects how many fire wardens are rostered, how many assembly areas are required, and whether exit routes are adequate for peak loads. While evacuation diagrams themselves do not change with occupancy, they should be reviewed as part of the facility's emergency plan whenever maximum patron numbers or facility configuration changes significantly. Facilities that host school groups, swim carnivals, or other events should also ensure that additional temporary signage and briefings are in place for visitors who are not familiar with the facility layout. Wardens should be identifiable by high-visibility vests and assigned to pool deck areas during events. ## Working with Local Council Requirements Public aquatic centres operated by local councils are often subject to additional layers of compliance. Council facilities may need to satisfy requirements from both the relevant fire authority and the council's own asset management and risk frameworks. Some councils require annual review of evacuation diagrams as part of their internal compliance calendar. If your facility is a council asset, check with your council's property or facilities team about any internal requirements that sit above the AS 3745 baseline. If you manage a privately operated aquatic facility in leased council premises, your lease agreement may also include specific obligations around fire safety documentation. Regardless of ownership structure, the practical steps are the same: obtain current floor plans, mark all relevant hazard and safety equipment locations, and have diagrams prepared that reflect the current layout. Diagrams should be reviewed any time the facility is modified, including changes to chemical storage locations, equipment rooms, or emergency exit configurations. ## Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Aquatic Facility EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for swimming pools, aquatic centres, water parks, and hotel pool areas across Australia. We account for pool deck layouts, chemical storage locations, plant rooms, lifeguard stations, and the unique placement challenges of high-humidity environments. Send us your floor plan and we will deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. [No site visit](https://evacpath.com/how-it-works) required. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Basic Package A$280 for up to 4 diagrams, Standard Package A$420 for up to 8 diagrams.