What a joy it is to have your own swimming pool and to be able to enjoy the joys of bathing during the whole summer period...
However, there is one essential element to be respected: the safety of your pond.
First of all, there is a swimming pool safety law for in-ground and semi-underground pools that carries penalties and fines if it is not respected....
But above all, it is essential to secure your pool for your own good and that of your loved ones.
What are the means available to secure one's pool?
- An alarm: The law says that an alarm system around a pool must detect any intrusion, fall or immersion, especially those of children under 5 years old in the protection zone, that it must be able to operate 24 hours a day, that it must be able to withstand temperatures ranging from -25° to 70°C, and that the controls must be able to be put out of the reach of children under 5 years old (keys, remote control) or secured by the need to perform 2 simultaneous actions. They must be equipped with a siren". There are 2 types of alarms: the perimeter detection alarm to be installed around the pool, which thanks to infrared terminals will detect any intrusion into its protection zone and will trigger the alarm - the immersion detection alarm, which is an immersed device and will detect any immersion from 6 kg and will trigger its alarm.
- A barrier: the law says that a barrier around a swimming pool must be made, constructed and installed to prevent the passage of a child under 5 years of age alone and to resist its locking actions without causing injury. An approved barrier is either made of wood, metal, plastic, glass, textile or plastic mesh. It must be at least 1.10 m high and resist impacts from a mass of 50 kg but also be firmly fixed to the ground so that it is not torn off. It can only be accessed through a wicket door whose unlocking system requires at least 2 actions to open it. The device must be capable of being handled without difficulty by an adult in case of emergency". . There are 3 types of approved barriers : The solid or barred fixed barrier which is non-removable and installed around the pool - The removable barrier which can be completely removed during swimming for aesthetic reasons - The retractable barrier which can disappear from the surroundings of the pool during swimming by retracting into the ground.
- A roller shutter: the law says that a roller shutter must prevent the involuntary immersion of a child under 5 years of age, without injuring children who would try to handle or pass over it. That a young child must not be able to go under the cover, nor sink by walking on it. Moreover, the blankets must be able to resist the crossing of an adult weighing 100 kg without tearing or loosening the fastening systems.... There are 3 types of motorised or manual roller shutters: immersed, above ground or buried.
- A tarpaulin with bars: the law is the same as for a roller shutter, it therefore says that a tarpaulin with bars must prevent the involuntary immersion of a child under 5 years old, without injuring children who would try to handle or cross it. That a young child should not be able to pass under the barred sheet, nor sink by walking on it. Moreover, the tarpaulins with bars must be able to resist the crossing of an adult of 100 Kg without tearing or disassociation of the fastening systems.... It is necessary to ensure compliance with the standards on all the fixings which must be installed and anchored on a sufficiently strong support, for example a concrete slab, dosed at 350 kg/m3, at least 10 cm thick, or concrete blocks of minimum dimensions 25 x 25 x 25 cm.
- A safety wintering cover: for your wintering cover to comply with safety standards, it must be fixed and anchored in a resistant support. Basically, not in the lawn but either in the concrete slab surrounding the pool or on the wood of above-ground pools or with the help of sufficiently large concrete blocks anchored in the ground.
For more information and to find the pool security system that suits you best, PiscineTech is the site for you, but don't forget that in addition to your equipment, the best security remains your vigilance...