Building a Barrier Against Swimming Pool Accidents

Each year, 300 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools. That’s the shocking estimate from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Help prevent accidents in your home pool or spa by installing safety barriers that help keep kids away from the water when you’re not around. 

Protect your kids with these recommendations from the CPSC: 

• Barriers should be at least 4 feet tall.
• For an inground pool, barriers should begin no more than 4 inches from the ground. For aboveground pools, the clearance between the top of the pool and the bottom of the barrier should be no more than 4 inches.
• To help discourage a child from climbing over a barrier, eliminate handholds or footholds, and restrict the size of any cutouts, openings, or spaces to 1-1/4 inches.
• To help keep children from trying to crawl through a barrier, check that openings are small enough to block a 4-inch sphere

• Position latches out of the reach of young children, or use a childproof closure.
• Make sure there are no openings more than 1/2 –inch-across within 18 inches of the latch release.
• Install gates so they open away from the pool.
• Choose gates that are self-closing and self-latching.

• Remove ladders and slides when using a pool cover. Aboveground pools should have steps and ladders that can be locked or removed when not in use.
• Choose covers that comply with American Society for Testing and Materials standards and are capable of supporting two adults and a child.
• Be sure your cover can be quickly removed in an emergency.

• Install alarms on doors opening out to a pool or hot tub.
• Install self-latching or self-closing doors out to the pool

Check with your local building code for safety barrier requirements before installing a pool. Learn more about pool barrier recommendations from the CSPC.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under any policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.