Summer is officially here and as temperatures begin to climb in to the into the 100's in the Valley of the Sun families will be gathering around the pool area. If your home has a pool don't forget to practice good pool safety. So far this year we has heard of too many drowning deaths or near drownings, and despite constant education we still see a rise in drowning deaths. There are a few things you can do as a resident with a pool to help keep you and your family safe this summer.
Small children who can’t swim obviously should not be have free access to a swimming pool, and even older children who know how to swim should use a pool only under adult supervision. In fact, adult awareness and supervision should be considered the first line of defense against pool accidents. No safety equipment can completely take the place of a responsible person keeping tabs on children’s whereabouts. That said, safety features are still important, and many are required by law.
For almost 20 years, Arizona statutes have required newly constructed pools at private residences with children under 6 years old to be surrounded by a fence at least 5 feet high. The state law does not apply retroactively to pools constructed prior to June 1990, but local governments are free to pass more stringent requirements, and many have. A Scottsdale or Mesa swimming pool, for instance, must be surrounded by a 5-foot (or higher) fence regardless of whether children live in the home. In Peoria, a fence is required if the residence has children under age 7. Despite any legal exceptions, however, the most prudent thing homeowners can do is to enclose their pools.
Pool fences should not have openings exceeding 4 inches, nor should they have horizontal bars on the outside of the fence that are spaced closely enough to aid in climbing. Mesh (chain-link) fences should have a mesh size no greater than 1.75 inches, also to deter climbing. The inside of any pool fence should be at least 20 inches from the edge of the water, and the outside should not be placed close to any structure in the yard, such as a playhouse, that could serve as a “stepping stone” to climbing over it.
By practicing good pool safety and following the suggestions above you can make this a fun in the sun summer. Remember it can only take a second for a child to leave your site so proper pool safety must be a top priority.
iDeal Realty & Management
9051 W Kelton Lane, Suite 10
Peoria, Arizona, 85382
623-201-3544
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