VIC - Building Inspector (Pool Safety)

2025 Dates (Classes are subject to minimum attendees)

May

• Training Program (Facilitated Online): 15 and 16 May 2025

• Simulated Inspections (Face to Face – CHELTENHAM): 22, 23 and 24 May 2025

Eligible Students

Enrolling in this course has no prerequisite requirements, making it accessible to students from diverse backgrounds, such as swimming pool technicians, building and pest inspectors, builders, and fencing installers. Qualifications or prior experience are not necessary.

To be registered as a Building Inspector (Pool Safety) in Victoria, you will need to satisfy certain requirements before you can apply through the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

The approved VBA course undertaken over five days and provides a mixture of online, practical learning and assessment together with 15 supervised inspections which are completed via a simulated environment under the supervision of a qualified person.
(NOTE: The simulated inspections are a course requirement, they cannot be used to form part of the live inspection requirement within your VBA Application).

Upon enrolment you will receive:

• All course materials

• Access to our online learning platform

While purchasing the Australian Standards listed below is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended as a valuable learning resource during the course and for future reference in your role as a pool safety inspector. Australian Standards are available for purchase here.

• AS 1926.1-1986

• AS 1926.1-1993

• AS 1926.1-2007

• AS 1926.2-2007

• AS 1926.1-2012

• AS 1926.1 -2012 Ruling

Stage 1: The student will complete two days of online learning which will cover the following:

Day 1.  Introduction to barrier inspections, understanding OHS obligations, applicable insurance requirements, conflict of interest applications, ethical behaviours. Interpret relevant regulatory requirements and technical standards, BCA and Deemed to satisfy provisions, Australian Standards and Building Act and Regulations – explanation and application to pool barrier inspections.

Day 2. Preparing and undertaking pool barrier inspection, required forms for completion, dispute resolution principles, how to undertake a barrier inspection, how to complete the relevant forms including barrier compliance and non-compliance, correct submission of required forms, completing re-inspections.

Self-Paced Assessments: Students will need to complete online assessments to meet the requirements of the program.

Stage 2: Completing Inspections – Three Days Face to Face Learning

Under the supervision of a qualified person, students will be required to complete 15 simulated inspections. A detailed portfolio must be completed by students on five of the 15 simulated inspections undertaken over the three days in class.

Note: Students who are found to be not yet competent and are required to undertake additional simulated inspections, will be charged $55.00 for every additional inspection. Dates for additional inspections will be scheduled by IRLearning.

Payment terms: 50% of the course fee is payable upon enrolment, the remaining 50% will be invoiced on the day of commencement and due prior to simulated and live inspections.

A Certificate of Completion in the VBAISP2020 Building Inspector (Pool Safety) course will be issued on successful completion of the course.

Once the course is complete and all VBA requirements for application are met, students can apply to the VBA to obtain Building Inspector (Pool Safety) registration.

Timeframe to complete this course is six months.

Note: Successful completion of the approved VBAISP2020 course does not guarantee registration with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) as a Building Inspector (Pool Safety).

VBA Registration

The VBA needs to ensure an applicant has the knowledge and experience to undertake inspections of all pool barrier types against the full range of applicable standards.  Assessors will focus on the depth and breadth of inspection experience.  

Experience – Building Inspector (Pool Safety)  

You are required to hold at least six month’s experience relevant to pool safety barrier inspections. Typically, this would include evidence of having participated in at least 25 home pool and/or spa barrier safety compliance inspections, under the supervision of a person registered to undertake pool barrier inspection work. The inspections must be of a sufficient range, including:  

• a minimum of five inspections per standard, and  

• a range of pool types, barrier types and construction methods, and  

• a mixture of compliant and non-complaint inspection outcomes.  

You may need to demonstrate participation in more than the minimum number to demonstrate sufficient breadth of experience. 

Submitting Application

To submit your application for Building Inspector (Pool Safety) you must include: 

1. A completed application form 

2. A completed Technical referee report 

3. A completed log book

4.  Your evidence portfolio (detailed inspections) 

Once you have completed all documents, upload your full application here. 

Application forms 

• Building Inspector (Pool Safety) registration application form 

• Building Inspector (Pool Safety) Experience logbook template 

• Building Inspector (Pool Safety) Technical referee report  

Notes: You must download and use the VBA experience logbook template. 

For More information, visit the VBA website. 

VBA Registration Application & Technical Referee Report

Students should meticulously prepare their registration documents, background work history, and sufficient inspection evidence when applying for VBA registration. Failure to provide the VBA with all required information may require students to resubmit their application.

For more on how to apply Click Here.

Third-party Live Inspection Providers

IRLearning and its agents, trainers and accredited Inspectors are solely engaged to assist students complete the actual VBA Pool Barrier Inspection course. The cost of the course includes everything except the live inspections that are required by the VBA for registration after course completion.

Any solicitation by third-party providers to students for further training, live inspections, or other services by anyone are beyond the IRLearning course requirements and are not endorsed or under the control of IRLearning.

Third-Party providers may offer the opportunity for students to undertake live inspections under their own terms and conditions. As an example, some third-party providers who offer live inspection services (under the direct supervision of a VBA accredited inspector) may require students to do several pre-inspections before they are able to undertake their actual live inspection

Students who wish to engage their-party providers do so on the understanding that IRLearning has no commercial or other financial interest with those providers.