There has recently been clarification surrounding responsibilities and recommended actions of indoor aquatic facilities during thunderstorms (lightning). 

Traditionally, industry practice has focused on evacuating outdoor pools during lightning storms, while indoor pools were not subject to the same precautionary measures. Notably, there are no known incidents of lightning strikes causing electrical injury to users in indoor aquatic facilities. However, a recent update to the standard advises that both indoor and outdoor pools should be treated the same regarding lightning risks.

Recognizing the need for further clarification, a LIWA member raised this issue with the National Aquatic Industry Committee (NAIC) in 2024. The NAIC subsequently investigated the changes to the standard and questioned the necessity of evacuating indoor pools.

In December 2024, Standards Australia provided guidance stating that if an indoor pool is housed within a substantial structure that is earthed as part of its construction, the building itself acts as a lightning protection system. In such cases, only testing is required to confirm that the structure is properly earthed and bonded in accordance with AS1768.

This update is welcome news for indoor aquatic facility managers, who can now refer to the updated resource in the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (GSPO) to develop appropriate lightning response protocols.

📌 Access the updated GSPO resource below

Note: This resource is available to subscribers of the Royal Life Saving Australia Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations. Subscription renewals are available below.