Pool safety

Pool fence is a type of fence placed around backyard swimming pools, commonly to improve pool safety and to help prevent small children from accidentally falling into the pool and drowning.

Types of pool fence

Various materials

Pool fences are manufactured in several different types, using a variety of materials.

Removable mesh pool safety fence

Tubular steel

Fiberglass

Aluminium Tube

Glass

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 pools 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 or aluminium inserts that are core drilled 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, especially in the darker colours. The support poles are normally made of either aluminium or fiber glass. Aluminium support poles are often powder coated 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  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 Victoria, Australia, pool fences must be at least 1.2 meters high.

Western Australia

In Western Australia, 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 States. However, several states, including Florida, California, and Arizona, 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 3/4, 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 opening mechanism of the latch must be at least 54" above grade (ground level).