According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year, nationwide, more than 350 children under five years old drown in residential swimming pools, and another 2,600 are injured. In some of the nation’s Sunbelt states, drowning has been the leading cause of accidental death in the home of children under five years old. The tragedy is that these accidents usually occur in a pool owned by a family that didn’t install proper fencing.
From the American Fence Association, here are five steps to ensure that the fence around a swimming pool offers maximum safety protection.
Use a self-closing and self-latching gate
The fence installed around a pool should have a self-latching gate, with the latch out of a child’s reach. When the release mechanism of the self-latching device is less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism should be installed on the side facing the pool at least three inches below the top of the gate. Placing the release mechanism at this height prevents a young child from reaching over the top of a gate and releasing the latch. Also, the gate and barrier should have no opening greater than a half inch within 18 inches of the latch release mechanism. This prevents a young child from reaching through the gate and releasing the latch.
Restrict access through and over fence opening
It is important that links, pickets, horizontal members or slats limit the ability for a small child or pet to get over or through the fence. So take this into account when selecting a pool fence design.
For example, with chain-link fencing, the mesh size should not exceed 1.25 inches between the parallel sides of the mesh and have no opening larger than 1.75 inches. Picket fences should have spacing less than four inches between the pickets and have at least 45 inches between the top and bottom horizontal members. If the space between horizontal members is less than 45 inches, then the horizontal members should be on the swimming pool side of the fence.
With ornamental fencing constructed in an open style, an unobtrusive mesh can be added behind the pickets to prevent children and pets from climbing through. Keep in mind that whatever fence style you select, observers should be able to see through the fence from any vantage point where there would be monitoring for safety.
Be sure the fence is high enough
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that pool fencing be at least 48 inches high to prevent young children from getting over it into the pool. The 48-inch measurement should be “above grade,” which means as measured from the ground. This measurement should be the minimum height of the fence at every point as measured on the side that faces away from the pool.
For an aboveground pool, promote safety by building a fence high enough to restrict access to the pool. Also, be sure to restrict access to the gate off the steps or ladder to the pool.
Surround the entire pool area
Just fencing off the yard doesn’t necessarily prevent access to the pool; the pool requires fencing of its own.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Prevention of Injury Policy, four-sided fencing that isolates the pool from the house or community decreases the number of pool immersion injuries among children by more than 50 percent. A study in Phoenix put that number as high as 90 percent. Consequently, in addition to a yard perimeter fence, a fence isolating the pool from the community is recommended, especially for associations with young children. Install a fence or other barrier completely around the pool.
Hire a professional fence contractor
With so much at stake, only a trained, professional fence contractor should be used to install fencing around a pool. Also, it’s a good idea to have your fence contractor work with the pool installer to ensure that all safety areas are covered.
The contractor you use should not only do work that meets codes and standards, but should offer a guarantee, negotiate ethically, use quality materials, have workers covered by liability insurance and offer recourse if you need additional work done.
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Author : Michelle Holcombe
Company : Outdoor Technologies Inc.
Michelle Holcombe is with Outdoor Technologies Inc. in Macon, Miss.
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