The National Safety Council states home hazards for children fall into five categories:
- Suffocation
- Choking
- Falls
- Burns
- Drowning
In the light of the coming summer season, we’d like to discuss the last and one of the most dangerous drowning hazards.
When it comes to pool safety, there was never a truer opinion that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is one case where preventing a pool accident is the one and only answer.
Drowning is the only cause of childhood deaths that can be 100% prevented. You can inoculate a child against disease, but you can’t totally prevent the disease from happening.
You can put a child in a child safety seat, but you can’t totally prevent a car accident.
Nevertheless, drowning stays the leading cause of death among children under the age of five years in the United States.
Children, inquisitive and intelligent, are drawn to swimming pools. With small children, pool barriers may be the only way to separate a child from their dangerous goal.
It is essential to know that a safety pool fence is a device that can help us.
Pool Fences – What Are They?
Pool fences are the most overlooked feature of pool safety equipment. In a word, it’s a common fence that’s installed around the pool to restrict any access to swimming areas for small children and pets.
Pool fences have some distinguishing features. They are self-closing, self-latching, non-climbable, non-go-through constructions with doors pull to open.
Pool fencing closes all pool access points to a swimming pool and ensures there are adequate safety gates for each pool entrance.
All these help secure pool fences improve child pool barrier safety.
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How to Choose and What to Look For?
The abundance of models confuses everyone. No matter whether you choose an expensive variable speed pool pump or a penny skimmer, a strict plan is the main clue to a successful purchase.
So, we understand that a pool safety fence to protect babies and toddlers from drowning accidents is one of the best investments a parent can make for their children.
Knowing what to look for in a pool fence is important. The following are some things to consider when choosing a removable pool safety fence for your pool.
Today, we will focus on the construction of the fence as a crucial moment and partly discuss the design.les
The poles used on a pool fence are the basis of the integrity of the fence. Look for a strong, sturdy reinforced aluminum pole.
The grade or weight of the aluminum will determine how strong the pole is. Manufacturers should use strong poles to construct pool fences so that there won’t be breakage of the poles, which would allow a child access to the water.
Mesh
Look for a pool fence with reliable, interlocking mesh. Advanced technology has enabled pool fences to be constructed with high-impact polyvinyl-coated interlocking mesh.
The interlocking mesh is rip-proof, mildew-proof, and fade-proof. This high-technology mesh is coated with UV protection which inhibits mildew and sun damage.
The interlocking nature of the mesh prevents tearing and ripping. Interlocking mesh used on pool fencing makes the fence stronger.
The interlocking mesh also allows much better visibility into the pool area and is twice as strong and transparent as earlier meshes used to construct pool fences.
Border
A sturdy pool fence should use a marine-grade vinyl border, and the stitching used should be the marine-grade thread, not the household thread.
Marine-grade vinyl ensures that the border will hold up to the chemicals in the pool that splash onto the deck and will never disintegrate.
If the border falls off, a small child can creep under the pool fence and access the pool.
Self-Closing Gates
A self-closing gate incorporated into pool fences makes the fence safer because it can never accidentally be left open, allowing a child to access the pool.
Look for a self-closing gate that is stable and is easily removed and replaced. The gate should not depend on the rest of the fence for stability.
Colors
Nowadays, pool fences are available in a variety of decorator colors with matching mesh and powder-coated poles or color combinations using coordinating mesh and powder-coated poles.
While colors do not make pool fences safer, they are still important. We’d recommend choosing calm colors that will not additionally attract children to the pool.
At the same time, you can enhance the pool area by allowing the pool fence to blend in with the pool decor.
Installing Swimming Pool Fencing – How to Install Pool Fences Properly
Adequately installed fencing prevents a child from entering the pool area under the pool fence.
When choosing between professional pool fencing installation and installing a pool fence yourself, consider the following information before you install.
With pool fence installation, the little things are the most important things. These are really little things that almost anyone would fail to notice.
Child barrier pool fences have specific guidelines that must be followed for just this reason to ensure that your pool fence installation is successful and your child is safe.
1. Install swimming pool gates correctly. Fence gates should swing out, not in, so that the kid cannot break them with its weight.
2. Gate locks should be installed at the proper height from the top of the pool gate to prohibit access. It’s also better to locate them on the inside of the pool fence gate.
3. Build or install a removable pool fence strong enough not to be breached. Professional installers use the fence poles’ spacing and the proper installation equipment for maximum strength and stability.
4. You cannot simply put the fence around the pool. The fence frame and poles should be safely fixed to prevent falling.
Thus, even in windy weather or if your little fidget decides to climb it, the fence will never fall and damage him/her.
5. The best fence installed correctly never allows a child to get a foothold on any surrounding property features.
Never install pool fencing without considering terrain that might allow a child to bridge the pool fence and enter into the pool area.
6. There also shouldn’t be any gap between the ground and the fence. The required distance must not exceed 2 inches.
Otherwise, we have a possibility to crawl under the barrier. This is more typical for pets, but kids are also at risk.
Correct installation of your swimming pool fence means the difference between life and death. Detailed installation is designed to prevent a child from getting through a pool fence.
As a rule, fences provide a pretty straightforward installation possible even for inexperienced people.
But though you can do it yourself, we’d recommend asking for professional help to avoid the slightest possibility of danger for your kids.
Professional pool fence installers will avoid all unforeseen drowning accidents from improper installation.
Conclusion
Here are all the little tips to help you choose the best pool fence and use it efficiently. We hope you and your children will enjoy the coming summer season with all its swimming, playing, and relaxing in the water. If you’re kids enjoy water sports, you could also consider hiring a yacht to experience the great outdoors.
But please make sure your kids do it safely and only with your permission and supervision.