Hi all, Can anybody clarify what you need for swimming pool security. We have a one metre wall, surrounding two sides and a two metre wall on the other two sides. We also have a cover with a 150kg limit and an alarm. Our builder is also saying we need a security fence as we will be renting out a Gite. My understanding, if you had a cover, if it was open an alarm suffices if you are not around the pool area.
Our rigid cover is in compliance and fortunately on an electric roller.
No child under 18 is allowed to swim without an adult present i.e. outdoors within sight of the pool.
I have a water safety instructor cert. so always point out the leaf net and tell people to first extend that to someone flailing in difficulty before going in yourself. Obviously if someone is inert, go in immediately.
Some of the gate latches are clever, took us 5 minutes to figure out on in Florida. Deliberately leaving one ajar is just 100% unacceptable.
So many differing ideas? the law is quite straight and one of the four options which must comply to the Normes of it's type. NF 306 fences NF 307 alarms, NF 308 covers, NF 309 abris
The only fail safe is watching the children, the others are only aids whilst temporary leave is taken. Alarms when set up correctly don't false alarm very often except perimeter alarms, but the companies don't make it very easy to do this, they sell units with tubes that are short in a lot of cases so they do go off with high/moderate winds. Of course you can by the extended tube for a lot more money for the additional 3cm required.
Fences with good gates except that parents actually wedge them open so the children can come and go whilst parents ignore them, oh yes they do but of course if an accident happens it would be someone else to blame.
Covers/Abris, are they really going to be pulled over each time an adult has to nip off to top up their glass.
The biggest issue with all these is reliance on them instead of supervision. Although non compliant the child bracelet idea has some merit as another level.
But the question wasn't on effectiveness it was on compliance with the law.
I have worked as a holiday rep in france for many years ..since the law about pool safety was brought in ......I strongly urge you to put a fence up if you possibly can...alarms are just not ok.......they are reliant on humans,.,...the batteries can fail and plus they drive you mad as cats and wind can set them off during the night and they are just unreliable really!!!...the only fail safe is to have a fence with a good gate with perhaps a lock key number on it......i cannot tell you how important this is.....as i had to deal with a toddler drowning a few years ago due to the law being flaunted!!!
Pool security, especially for what is deemed a public pool as in your case, is a nightmare. So many have differing ideas as to the interpretation of the law. The least suitable is one of the floating alarms as I believe there must be somebody able to react to it at anytime. All a bit pointless if a child falls in a pool 50m away! I believe the barrier method means a solid barrier, hedges shrubs not acceptable with a height of 1.1m minimum.
If the alarm and cover comply to the normes that is sufficient. Your 1m wall is not high enough to comply but two out of three ain’t bad. According to the lyrics of Jim Stienman