The pool deck options you choose matter when creating a safer swimming pool for your friends, family, and pets. Pool deck safety goes beyond “NO RUNNING or DIVING” signs to include the pool deck fence you choose, your layout, and the active measures you take to reduce the risk of an injury in or around your pool. From eliminating electrical hazards to cutting down on cuts and not letting slips trip up your guests, let’s take a look at some of the most common pool deck hazards and what you can do to help keep them at bay.
Accidental drownings take thousands of lives annually and send tens of thousands to emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and their physician’s office for treatments. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance cites a lack of safety barriers as a contributing factor in the majority of these accidental drowning incidents, making the installation of ASTM-compliant safety barriers one of the most important pool deck options you can choose.
A removable mesh pool deck fence is designed to protect your entire swimming pool area, securing it behind a strong rip and climb-resistant mesh panel stretched between strong poles anchored around the pool deck itself. Entry is managed through a self-closing and self-latching gate that comes ready to accept an entry alarm to further increase your pool’s security and peace of mind. The result is a pool area that helps keep out children, pets, and compromised adults who may have trouble saving themselves from accidental immersion or lack the judgment to realize the danger they’d be in without supervision.
Swimming pool safety covers and safety nets protect the surface of the pool itself from accidental water entry. Both of these are secured around the edge of the pool with strong straps and anchors. A Safety net uses knotted twine and a central tensioning system made up of steel springs, while the swimming pool safety cover is custom fit to your pool’s dimensions and uses a rip-resistant mesh material. Both are strong enough to support the weight of a full-grown adult, but the safety cover will also keep out dirt and debris while limiting evaporation to keep pool costs down.
To further increase protection, some pool owners install a swimming pool safety net or cover along with a removable mesh pool fence, giving them two effective barriers between their pool and tragedy, making it one of the safest pool deck protection options around.
Just as you learned in middle school, electricity and water don’t mix. Powered pool amenities and the ubiquitousness of electronics in an increasingly connected world, however, mean that pool owners must plan for its use in the pool area to limit the risks of shock or electrocution. We’ve talked in-depth before about the dangers of electricity around swimming pools, but here are a few key highlights to get you started:
If you do your own pool maintenance, then you already know part of owning a pool is becoming comfortable with applied chemistry. When properly handled and diluted, the chemicals you use to clean and sanitize your pool, reduce the proliferation of bacteria and algae, and limit staining keep pool water safe for swimming. Improperly handled, they can lead to potentially life-threatening injury.
To reduce the risk to people using your pool, plan for secure storage when you’re considering your pool deck options. As a matter of pool deck safety, undiluted chemicals should never be accessible while the pool is in use by children or adults who may not be familiar with the chemical risks posed by these hazards are around.
Slips, trips, and falls are some of the leading causes of non-drowning injuries in the swimming pool area. Anytime you mix water, a flat surface, and an abundance of enthusiasm like that often found at a pool party, you have an increased risk of an accident around your pool. A little preparation with your pool deck options and effective supervision will go a long way toward preventing injuries.
Design your deck with slip-resistant coatings or apply grip strips that help users keep their feet under them, even while wet from the pool. These give greater traction by creating a rougher surface bare feet and swimming shoes can grip easier. You can also install rails by ladders, stairs, and other common slip areas to offer another point of contact to help users maintain their balance.
When the pool is in use, you should also ensure a responsible party keeps an eye on the behavior of pool users, especially when children or teens are present. Don’t allow running, jumping, or horseplay around the pool area. This key part of pool deck safety helps reduce slips and falls while also preventing dangerous accidental immersion.
Finally, glass has no place in the pool area. When glass breaks, it shatters into razor-sharp shards that can travel up to fifteen feet at an extremely high speed. Worse, clear glass shards become almost invisible in water. These jagged pieces can cause cuts, puncture wounds, lodge in or under the skin, and may require a medical professional to remove them. Eliminate glass containers as a pool deck option by opting for beverages in aluminum cans, plastic bottles, or by pouring drinks and food into reusable pool-safe containers outside your pool deck fence and away from the pool area.
Your local independent installation professional is your go-to source for all things pool safety. Schedule an appointment, and they’ll take measurements, talk to you about your pool needs, and design a pool safety plan that keeps your pool safer from unsupervised access. Find the best barrier options for your pool deck with All-Safe Pool today.
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