Swimming Pools Archives Home Inspection FYI

Pool fencing and barriers are a physical obstacle that surrounds an outdoor pool so that pool access is limited to adults. This includes outdoor hot tubs and spas. Walls made from brick or stone can be acceptable as pool fencing as well. Children should not be able to get under, over, or through the pool fencing.

With summer here, pool fencing couldn’t be a more important part of our pool. Pool fencing comes in many types and styles. You must have pool fencing. Proper installation and use of four-sided pool fencing could prevent many childhood residential swimming pool drownings or near drownings. Also use a self-closing, self-latching gate with pool fencing to prevent a child from wandering into the pool area unsupervised. Hot tubs should be covered and locked when not in use.

pool fencing inspection 300x189 Swimming Pool Fencing

Why is pool fencing important?

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 250 children drown every year in residential swimming pools. In states where swimming pools are open year-round, such as Florida, Arizona and California, drowning is the leading cause of death in and around the home for children under 5 years old. Many of these deaths result when young children gain unsupervised access to swimming pools due to inadequate pool fencing.

An inspector may want to cite visible defects in pool fencing or recommend that the pool fencing be evaluated by professionals. Be careful, however, to make your clients aware that defect detection does not constitute inspection. It is better for clients to know that an inspector has not provided a service than to allow them to assume that the service has been provided. Pool fencing and pool inspection is outside of the scope of InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice. Inspectors should disclaim pool inspection wherever pools are present, if they have not provided this service.

Codes concerning pool fencing and barriers vary by jurisdiction. States, such as Arizona, Florida and California, have compiled their own laws concerning pool fencing, while others rely on the International Residential Code. The CPSC has thoroughly researched pool-related hazards and has compiled its own set of codes for pool fencing. Australia too, has placed tremendous emphasis on the development of pool fencing codes in an attempt to reduce the number of deaths due to drowning in that country. The code below is taken mostly from the 2006 edition of the IRC and is substantially similar to the other pool fencing codes previously mentioned. Some helpful parts of the Australian code are listed as well.

2006 International Building Code Pool Fencing and Barrier Requirements:

AG105.2 Outdoor swimming pool. An outdoor swimming pool, including an in-ground, above-ground or on-ground pool, hot tub or spa, shall be surrounded by pool fencing which shall comply with the following:

1. The top of the barrier or pool fencing shall be at least 48 inches (1,219 mm) above grade measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. The maximum vertical clearance between grade and the bottom of the barrier shall be 2 inches (51 mm) measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. Where the top of the pool structure is above grade, such as an above-ground pool, the barrier may be at ground level, such as the pool structure, or mounted on top of the pool structure. Where the barrier is mounted on top of the pool structure, the maximum vertical clearance between the top of the pool structure and the bottom of the barrier shall be 4 inches (102 mm).

2. Openings in the barrier shall not allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter (102 mm) sphere.

3. Solid barriers which do not have openings, such as a masonry or stone wall, shall not contain indentations or protrusions, except for normal construction tolerances and tooled masonry joints.

4. Where the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members and the distance between the tops of the horizontal members is less than 45 inches (1,143 mm), the horizontal members shall be located on the swimming pool side of the fence. Spacing between vertical members shall not exceed 1-3/4 inches (44 mm) in width. Where there are decorative cutouts within vertical members, spacing within the cutouts shall not exceed 1-3/4 inches (44 mm) in width

5. Where the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members and the distance between the tops of the horizontal members is 45 inches (1,143 mm) or more, spacing between vertical members shall not exceed 4 inches (102 mm). Where there are decorative cutouts within vertical members, spacing within the cutouts shall not exceed 1-3/4 inches (44 mm) in width.

6. Maximum mesh size for chain link pool fencing shall be a 2-1/4 inch (57 mm) square unless the fence has slats fastened at the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not more than
1-1/4 inches (44 mm).

7. Where the barrier is composed of diagonal members, such as lattice pool fencing, the maximum opening formed by the diagonal members shall not be more than 1-3/4 inches (44 mm).

8. Access gates shall comply with the requirements of Section AG105.2, Items 1 through 7, and shall be equipped to accommodate a locking device. Pedestrian access gates shall open outward, away from the pool, and shall be self-closing and have a self-latching device. Gates other than pedestrian access gates shall have a self-latching device. Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device is located less than 54 inches (1,372 mm) from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism and openings shall comply with the following:

    8.1 The release mechanism shall be located on the pool-side of the gate at least 3 inches (76 mm) below the top of the gate; and

    8.2 The gate and pool fencing shall have no opening larger than 1/2-inch (13 mm) within 18 inches (457 mm) of the release mechanism.

9. Where a wall of a dwelling serves as part of the barrier, one of the following conditions shall be met:

    9.1. The pool shall be equipped with a powered safety cover in compliance with ASTM F 1346; or

    9.2. Doors with direct access to the pool through that wall shall be equipped with an alarm which produces an audible warning when the door and/or its screen, if present, are opened. The alarm shall be listed in accordance with UL 2017. The audible alarm shall activate within seven seconds and  sound continuously for a minimum of 30 seconds after the door and/or its screen, if present, are opened and be capable of being heard throughout the house during normal household activities. The alarm shall automatically reset under all conditions. The alarm system shall be equipped with a manual means, such as touch pad or switch, to temporarily de-activate the alarm for a single opening. De-activation shall last for not more than 15 seconds. The de-activation switch(es) shall be located at least 54 inches (1,372 mm) above the threshold of the door; or

    9.3. Other means of protection, such as self-closing doors with self-latching devices, which are approved by the governing body, shall be acceptable, so long as the degree of protection afforded is not less than the protection afforded by Item 9.1 or 9.2 described above.

10. Where an above-ground pool structure is used as a barrier, or where the barrier is mounted on top of the pool structure, and the means of access is a ladder or steps:

10.1. The ladder or steps shall be capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access; or

    10.2. The ladder or steps shall be surrounded by a barrier which meets the requirements of Section AG105.2, Items 1 through 9. When the ladder or steps are secured, locked or removed, any opening created shall not allow the passage of a 4-inch-diameter (102 mm) sphere.

AG105.3 Indoor swimming pool. Walls surrounding an indoor swimming pool shall comply with Section AG105.2, Item 9.

AG105.4 Prohibited locations. Barriers shall be located to prohibit permanent structures, equipment or similar objects from being used to climb them.

AG105.5 Barrier exceptions. Spas or hot tubs with a safety cover, which complies with ASTM F 1346, as listed in Section AG107, shall be exempt from the provisions of this appendix.

The 1994 edition of Australia’s Building Code offers the following suggestions concerning pool fencing gaps:

“If pool fencing has gaps, they should be of such a size that a young child is prevented from slipping through, but the gaps also need to have dimensions such that any part of a young child’s body cannot be trapped.”

Currently, the IRC makes no mention of regulations for “danger” or CPR signs that should be contained on pool fencing and barriers. The Australian Building Code offers the following concerning CPR signs:

“The CPR sign needs to be durable, and placed in a conspicuous place near the pool. It must detail the procedures necessary to undertake cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”

Know hot to be able to spot defects in pool fencing.

Swimming Pool Fencing and Gate Safety

Swimming Pool Water Can Make You Sick

Swimming in a swimming pool is what summer time is all about. The kids have friends over and they have a blast. Let’s take a look at the possible health threats that can linger in a swimming pool if not addressed and corrected.

Germs from other swimmers and unsafe water supplies can easily contaminate swimming pool water, especially if it isn’t properly disinfected. Contaminated recreational water can cause a variety of ailments and diseases, such as diarrhea, and skin, ear and upper respiratory infections, particularly if the swimmer’s head is submerged. We should all be familiar with the problems caused by a contaminated swimming pool and spa water, and how to prevent them.

pool Swimming Pool Water and The Problems It Can Present

Viruses, bacteria and protozoa are the culprits in most swimming pool related sickness outbreaks. The mucus, saliva, blood and skin of infected swimmers can directly contaminate swimming pool and spa water with sufficient pathogens to cause infections in other swimmers who come in contact with it. Feces are a particular danger in pools, as the pathogens they contain are typically present in enormous numbers, approaching a million per gram of feces. A single fecal release in a swimming pool could contaminate millions of gallons of water, according to the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health. Large outbreaks of disease are uncommon and they don’t typically happen in residential settings, but they should alert homeowners to just how contagious pathogens are when they’re waterborne. Consider the following such cases:

In 1998 in Georgia, 26 people were sickened after swimming in a pool with a child who had E. coli. Seven people were hospitalized and one was killed by the outbreak. The pool’s chlorine level had not been adequately maintained.
In New Mexico in 2008, a competitive swimmer who ignored symptoms of diarrhea caused 92 swimmers, including other competitive swimmers, coaches and lifeguards, to contract the illness.
In 2001 in an Illinois water park, 358 people contracted diarrhea, despite adequate chlorine and pH levels. Swimmers can add up to several pounds of feces per day in a typical water park.

Home owners with a swimming pool can benefit from learning the basic pathogens that are commonly found in a swimming pool:

bacteria, such as E. coli, shigella (which causes dysentery), campylobacter and salmonella. Bacteria are generally killed quickly by chlorine disinfectant in properly maintained swimming pools at a concentration of 1 part per million. E. coli, for instance, will be inactivated in less than one minute if exposed to typical disinfectant concentrations;
protozoa, such as cryptosporidium (which causes diarrhea), and giardia, also known for its severe gastrointestinal effects. Some of these pathogens are highly resistant to chlorine and can survive for days in typical chlorine concentrations; and
hepatitis A and noroviruses.

Swimming pool disinfectants can kill most germs in less than an hour, but for others it can take longer. Cryptosporidium, for instance, can survive for up to 10 days in a properly chlorinated pool, and other pathogens are completely resistant to chlorine. In addition, the unique circulation patterns found in swimming pools may allow poor water circulation in some areas, making it unlikely that all pathogen activity can be fully prevented. The unfortunate truth is that a chlorinated swimming pool can and will transmit disease. Swimmers should not rely solely on the pool’s chemical treatments, and should heed the following precautions:

Don’t ever swallow swimming pool water. Children sometimes jokingly spit pool water back into the pool or at their friends, but this is dangerous, as some of it may be swallowed.
Shower with soap and water before and after swimming.
Wash your hands with soap and water after using a toilet or changing diapers.
Remove small children from pools for bathroom breaks and check diapers often.
Change diapers in a bathroom, not beside the swimming pool.
Wash children, especially their rear ends, thoroughly with soap and water before they enter a swimming pool.
Don’t swim when you have diarrhea. Diarrhea can be transmitted in pool water weeks after symptoms cease.

Pathogens can easily permeate an entire swimming pool. Some are resistant to chlorination. Chemical treatments for a swimming pool and spas are best supplemented with good hygiene.

Swimming pool safety.

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