Pool fence
Encyclopedia
Fence
A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
placed around backyard swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s, commonly to improve pool safety and to help prevent small children
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
from accidentally falling into the pool and drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
.
Various materials
Pool fences are manufactured in several different types, using a variety of materials.- Removable meshMeshMesh consists of semi-permeable barrier made of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible/ductile material. Mesh is similar to web or net in that it has many attached or woven strands.-Types of mesh:...
pool safety fence - Tubular steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
- Fiberglass
- AluminiumAluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
Tube - GlassGlassGlass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
- Wood (so long as it is not climable)
Removeable mesh pool safety fence
Removable mesh pool safety fence is often referred to by several different names. These names include, but are not limited to:- Pool barrier
- Pool fencing
- Swimming pool fence
- Mesh fence
- Safety fence
- Kiddy fence
- Child fence
Different types of pool fencing are utilised depending upon the needs and budget of the pool owner. Each kind offers its own advantages and disadvantages. Most kinds of pool fence are also used for, and were initially designed for, other applications besides around the pool. The exception to this is removable mesh pool safety fence.
Pool safety fence is the only type of pool fence designed specifically for use around swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s to help prevent child and/or pet access. Removable pool fences use a series of sections ranging from 6' to 15' in length connected at the top by a child-proof latch. Each section consists of a number of poles spaced at regular intervals and mounted into plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
or aluminium inserts that are core drill
Core drill
A core drill is a drill specifically designed to remove a cylinder of material, much like a hole saw. The material left inside the drill bit is referred to as the core....
ed into the pool deck or other substantial surface and a mesh material that stretches across those poles. The fence is made sturdy by the extreme tension it is manufactured and installed under. Mesh pool fence comes in many different colours, including black, white, green, tan, and brown. The mesh itself is made to be nearly transparent
Transparency and translucency
In the field of optics, transparency is the physical property of allowing light to pass through a material; translucency only allows light to pass through diffusely. The opposite property is opacity...
, especially in the darker colours. The support poles are normally made of either aluminium or fiber glass. Aluminium support poles are often powder coated
Powder coating
thumb|right|Aluminium extrusions being powder coatedPowder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. The main difference between a conventional liquid paint and a powder coating is that the powder coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler...
different colours for pool owners' aesthetic preference. Pool fencing is not a substitution for parental supervision.
Pool fence laws
Some jurisdictions have laws governing pool fences, however they may vary from place to place.Australia
All states and territories in Australia have pool fence laws. All pool fencing must comply with AS1926.1 1993 or 2007 standards.Queensland
All swimming pools in Queensland are required by law to have a suitable fence. The only pools that don't need fences are pools that have been issued an exemption by the local council. See http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/guideline/building/pool-safety-guildines.pdf for detailed information on the requirements of pool fences. For example, a pool fence must at least 1.2 metres high.Fines up to AU$16,500 can be issued to pool owners with pool fences that do not comply with the law.
Victoria
In VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, pool fences must be at least 1.2 meters high.
Western Australia
In Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, pool fencing must meet the following guidelines:
- be at least 1.2m high.
- not have gaps in the fence or below the fence wider than 100mm.
- not have footholds, handholds or other means for a young child to be able to climb.
- have no items such as outdoor furniture, BBQ’s, bikes, pot plants, gym equipment, ladders, trees and shrubs with low branches, garden trellis or other items located within 1.2m of the pool gates.
United States
There is no federal pool fence law currently in place within the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, several states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, including Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, have created their own individual pool fence laws. Some counties have pool fence laws where no state law currently exists.
The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals has developed a model barrier code for residential swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs; this code has been approved by the American National Standards Institute.
B.O.C.A. pool safety standards:
The International Code Council (I.C.C.), more often known by their former name, the Building Officials and Code Administrators (B.O.C.A.), outline strong safety standards for swimming pool fences. In an effort to eliminate or reduce the accidental drowning of children, these standards have been recognized by many communities throughout the world.
Here are the highlights of the B.O.C.A./I.C.C. pool safety standards:
1. The fence must be a minimum of 48" tall (or taller, depending on distance between horizontal rails).
2. The middle horizontal rail must be at least 45" above the bottom horizontal rail (to prevent using the horizontal rails as a kind of ladder for climbing).
3. The spacing between pickets must be less than 4".
4. If space between pickets is less than 1, rule #2 does not apply and fence does not have to be taller than 48 (because the tighter picket spacing has made climbing much more difficult).
5. The space between the bottom horizontal rail and the ground must be less than 2".
6. The gate(s) must be self-closing and self-latching.
7. The gate(s) need to open out (away from the pool area).
8. The operating mechanism of the latch must be at least 54" from the bottom of the gate or it shall be on the pool side of the gate at least 3 inches below the top AND shall not have any opening greater than 1/2 inch within 18 inches of the release mechanism.
See also
- Child safety lockChild safety lockA child safety lock is a special-purpose lock for cabinets, drawers, bottles, etc. that is designed to help prevent children from getting at any dangerous contents. Young children are naturally curious about their surroundings and will always explore, but as they may be unaware of dangerous...
- Child-proof
- DrowningDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
- FenceFenceA fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
- Swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
- Temporary fencingTemporary fencingTemporary Fence is used where building a permanent fence is either impractical or unneeded. Temporary fencing is used when an area needs barriers for the purposes of public safety or security, crowd control, theft deterrent, or equipment storage. Its most common use is as construction hoarding for...