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Splish Splash- Swimming Pool Safety

By
Home Inspector with NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Splish Splash- Swimming Pool Safety- Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspection Services

I was performing a recent home inspection that both the buyer and seller where present. During a walkthrough I made comment on the doors having direct access to the pool area should be alarmed.

The owner said “is that code”? My immediate response was “Yes”. But it made me think (ouch).

                                        Pool Safety

Pool safety really should not be taken lightly. It can only take a few minutes and someone, especially young children, can drown. Each year about 300 children under 5 drown in swimming pools. Most often the drowning occurs in the family pool. Drowning is the second most injury related fatality for children 14 and younger.

So here are some basic guidelines for pool safety-

Install a fence or other barrier, such as a wall, completely around the pool. If the house is part of the barrier, the doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with an alarm or the pool should have a power safety cover. The barrier needs to be 4 feet tall.  There are rules governing the barrier and gates that you should become familiar with.

                                                           Swimming Pool Barrier

As for the code… From the IRC (International Residential Code)
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 a barrier which shall comply with the following:
1. The top of the barrier shall be at least 48 inches 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 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.

Here are a couple of articles that you should read on pool safety.

Drowning facts and Prevention
Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools
How to plan for the Unexpected

Remember pools are great places to relax and enjoy the summer weather but they do have some inherent dangers.

Everyone in the home should learn how to swim, learn basic rescue techniques and CPR in case of an emergency. Planning ahead may just save someone’s life.

“One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.”

Arnold H Glasgow


NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

Comments (11)

Clint Mckie
Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM
Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Donald,

I just went through this trainig with Internachi.

There are way too many accidents that could have been avoided by following a few simple rules.

Nice post to educate everyone about pool safety.

Have a good day in Wenatchee.

Best, Cint McKie 

Aug 05, 2012 11:51 PM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Clint,

I bet you see your fair share of swimming pools. Most people do not give it much thought when it comes to accident prevention.

Aug 06, 2012 12:24 AM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

The CPSC doc goes into my reports as an attachment anytime the house has a pool. 

Aug 06, 2012 08:39 AM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Jim, Me too. Pool can be awesome but can be a very dangerous place. 

Aug 06, 2012 09:11 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector


What is a swimming pool?  Oh yea---now I remember---I saw one of those once.

Aug 06, 2012 10:57 AM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Charlie, That is the same thing I think when I see one of the gas jobby thingies;) 

Aug 06, 2012 02:49 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Great post Don.  There are lots of private pools around here.  Each jurisdiction has its own rules, but most are the same.  And all address safety, of course.

Aug 06, 2012 09:43 PM
Malcolm Johnston
Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate LTD., Trenton, Ontario - Trenton, ON
Trenton Real Estate

Good post Donald, I couldn't begin to imagine the heart break of losing a small child. I would take every precaution imaginable to prevent an accident in a pool.

Aug 06, 2012 11:53 PM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Jay, Thank you. We have our fair share of pools also. Pool safwry is very important.

 

Malcolm, That is how I feel also. I have grown up around water and have had a few close calls. It does not take long for an accident to happen.

Aug 07, 2012 12:18 AM
Richard Warden
Nest Seekers, Suffolk NY Home Inspections - Southampton, NY
Real Estate, Home Inspections, Expediting

>Each year about 300 children under 5 drown in swimming pools.

- Pretty sobering. Thanks for the great post.

Aug 20, 2012 11:44 PM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Richard, Thank you. Sometime we become so familiar with something we just do not think of some of the inherit dangers.

Aug 21, 2012 01:06 AM