Do You Know the Pool Safety Codes in Your State?
Having a pool is an amazing addition to any home or property for entertainment reasons, aesthetic beauty, and of course the obvious health benefits of swimming as exercise. With this beneficial addition also comes a responsibility to keep our children, guests, and pets safe. Every state has a different pool safety code and must adhere. There are typically three main guidelines across the U.S.
Pool Fence Height
Meeting local building codes is a must with every fence installed around a swimming pool. Public and residential pools will have different requirements, but both are liable if not in ordinance with local regulations. This is also applicable to spas and hot tubs. The governing municipality will determine what height the fence will be. The standard in most areas is four to five feet. For example in the state of California, all residential and public pools are required to have a 5ft tall fence. Sometimes the county will apply additional regulations.
Gap Under Pool Fence and Between Panels
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety commission recommends a maximum of 2 inches between the glass and a solid ground surface such as wood, tile, or concrete. So that children and pets cannot get trapped between panels, the CPSC specifies no more than four inches between each vertical panel. Another common requirement is that the outside surface is free from potential handholds or footholds that could enable a child below the age of five years to climb over.
Pool Gates
Pool owners are given stricter and more enforced regulations by legislation and various building codes as a precautionary act to keep young children from gaining access to the unsupervised pools, preventing fatalities. All pool gates must be self-closing and self-latching, locks must be installed at a specified height, out of reach of smaller children. A common requirement in many counties across most states are that gates must open away from the swimming pool, be self-closing and self-latching with the latch on the pool side of the gate.
Contact us today at 877-229-7034 for more information on how we can install a beautiful pool fence that is up to code in your area.