Get Ready Before Spring Hits: 3 Steps for Homeowners to Keep Pool Areas Safe

There are many safety precautions homeowners need to consider when they decide to install a pool in their yards. Following a few simple steps can help keep children, neighbors and guests safe around the swimming pool all year round.

1. Pool fence installation
Hiring a fence company to install a fence in the yard is one of the first steps homeowners should take to keep everyone safe. There are several styles of fences that homeowners can choose from, including aluminum, vinyl and wood.

Aluminum fences are often the most popular for pool fence installations because of the durability of these fences. Aluminum does not rust, making it the ideal style to be near water. They are also very customizable, giving homeowners the chance to have the fence constructed to the specifications they need to meet to have their pools approved.

2. Follow the law
Homeowners must receive the proper permits and approval from the appropriate authorities in order to have their pools and fences approved as being safe. There are no laws that state the different types of pool requirements homeowners have to meet throughout the nation; however, there are specific laws set by states, towns, counties and groups geared at keeping people safe.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is one of the groups that work toward promoting pool safety. According to this group?s website, a pool fence should be installed at a height of at least four feet around the pool. The fence should be high enough to keep children from climbing over it, and it must not have any openings. This is so that children cannot get through to the pool while unattended.

There are also laws about the types of gates that homeowners install on their fences, which is another preventative measure to keep more people safe. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the standards for pool gates include that they must open out from the pool and close on their own, with the latch installed high enough to be out of the reach of children.

Although there are not set standards across the board for every state, town or county in America in regard to pool fences and pool installations, families can take the initiative to install a pool fence as a preventative safety measure.

3. Prepare the pool area for children
There are many ways to prepare a pool area to keep it safer, especially for children. If the pool is an in ground pool, installing a no-slip surface around the perimeter of the pool can help children, neighbors and guests from falling when near the pool.

Families can also make a set of ?pool rules? to help remind children of ways to stay safe when in or near the pool. Examples of rules can be things such as: no swimming without an adult present, no running near the pool, no diving into shallow water, and so on.
Safety materials should also be kept near the pool. First aid kits, life vests and other rescue materials should be on-hand and close to the pool area, just in case of an emergency. It is always better for homeowners to be prepared.

By following these three simple steps, homeowners can help keep their families, neighbors and friends safe when near the pool area.

Alex is the owner of Challenger Fence Inc., one of the fence companies in NJ that is concerned with keeping people safe near pools. At Challenger Fence Inc., families can call for pool fence installation services to help start the process keeping people safe around their pools.