Having a pool safety is a wonderful addition to your home. It gives you the freedom to cool off or swim lengths whenever you want.
However, a pool, especially in-ground ones, also bring risks. The biggest of these is that a child, or an intoxicated or unaware adult, will accidentally walk into the pool and drown.
Fortunately, there are a variety of steps you can take to help prevent this from happening.
Although it is possible to get pool covers that can be walked on, the best, and legally required option, is balustrades.
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The Legal Requirements For Pool Safety And Balustrades
Anything that can contain more than 30cm of water is classed as a swimming pool. This includes spas. To comply with current legislation these bodies of water need to have a barrier that prevents access by people under five unless they are accompanied.
That means balustrades and a child-lock gate. The gate and balustrade must comply with regulation AS 1926.1
The balustrades must be sturdy enough to prevent a child from knocking them over and should be at least 1.2m high.
There is no requirement to use a specific material, provided it is sturdy enough. All balustrades should be vertical. But, if this isn’t feasible you can lean them slightly toward the pool.
Choosing The right Balustrade For Pool Safety
The first step in ensuring safety around your pool is ensuring you comply with the legal requirements regarding balustrade height, etc.
But, once you have an understanding of them you also need to consider the various balustrade designs available.
All balustrades are designed to keep people safe. However, there are different options and benefits:
Glass
Glass is a great option as it doesn’t detract from the view of the pool. This can help to make the garden look more attractive.
But, it also allows parents to monitor children that they deem old enough to swim by themselves.
No other balustrade will give you an uninterrupted view of the pool and allow you to ensure the child’s safety.
Metal
Metal balustrades can come in a wide variety of styles and even be fabricated to a personal design. This makes them a good choice if you want to stamp your own style on the yard and pool.
Of course, while they do afford a view of the pool it is more limited than glass. You’ll also have to make sure the gaps between the metal upright sections are too small for a child to get their head through.
Wood
The third main choice of balustrades for swimming pool is wood. These tend to need more maintenance but do offer a more natural view of the pool and garden.
It is even possible to add panelling to this type of balustrade and block the view of the pool.
For some homeowners, this is desirable, either because it keeps the yard looking simplistic or because it offers privacy in the pool.
The choice of balustrade is personal, the decision of whether to have one or not has already been made for you, you must have one.
