Designing and building safe pools

by Sally Bouorm | December 1, 2012 2:59 pm

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By Barry Justus

Safety and security are prime topics when first meeting a prospective client who is often surrounded by their young children. In fact, most mothers initially want Fort Knox built in their backyards—essentially a water feature without water.

In residential settings (commercial pools are highly regulated), a surprisingly large number of factors come into play when designing and building a safe, friendly, and fun family swimming pool. The same layered approach to safety that is successful in most commercial aquatic settings also succeeds in the residential market. These layers comprise prevention, overall design, worksite precautions, water features, perimeter borders, and training and commissioning standards with the client.

A safe and secure design starts with the first client meeting. Therefore, be prepared to answer all of the homeowner’s questions concerning safety. It is important to listen to their needs and concerns, and alleviate their fears, as a potential client will not purchase anything they perceive to be dangerous for their loved ones.

A good way to start is by explaining how the company will go to great lengths to keep their family, friends, pets, and neighbours safe—starting from the initial design to construction and site clean-up—as this will help earn the customer’s confidence and trust, and ultimately the sale.

In doing this, address all safety issues up front and convey a proactive message. It is also a good idea to provide proof of the company’s liability insurance, crew training certificates, as well as show photos of site and security procedures from previous projects. Also provide the client with a copy of the company’s policy and procedures manual for their review.

Consumer confidence in the company and its abilities to successfully manage a safe and professional project can separate a business from the competition.

Work site and job safety

The job site should protect the client, their children and pets, and their surrounding neighbours. A first line of defence is to install temporary, full-perimeter steel fencing with a locking gate. These fences are easy to transport, relatively inexpensive to rent or purchase, and are an effective method for limiting liability.

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Further, fencing off the job site leaves a professional image, prevents trespassing, theft, vandalism, and curious neighbours and competitors from wandering onto the property. Site materials, equipment, and tools should be neatly organized. Rebar ends should always be covered with protective caps. Standing water should also be eliminated; therefore, a sump pump with a proper discharge hose should be the first item installed in a new dig.

Everyone on the job site, e.g. crew members, subcontractors, and all site visitors, should wear the appropriate safety gear, including hard hats and protective footwear. All subcontractors should also have proof of licensing and liability insurance before setting foot on the job site. They should also be trained in job site safety, first aid, and equipment operation. The company’s policy and procedure manual should cover job site safety in detail.

Particular attention should also be given to site cleanliness. Like it or not, the client, as well as their friends and neighbours, will inspect the project in the evenings and on weekends. Therefore, silt safety barriers should be used to prevent run-off from damaging local environments and the need to clean up neighbouring properties. An additional benefit to having a safe site is that busy safety or building inspectors will drive by looking for an easier target, such as a less-compliant contractor.

INITIAL SITE REVIEW

Swimming pool builders should look for and note the condition of the following when initially inspecting a project site: • Full-site documentation, including photographs and/or video; • Fencing review, including condition, legality, gaps in coverage, safety (be aware of the current rules for the jurisdiction); • Potential dangers (e.g. lakes, ponds, neighbouring hazards, slopes, run-off, and rock fall); • Review of zoning (e.g. setbacks and easements); • Overhead hazards (e.g. electrical lines, jumping points, tree limbs, and vegetation); • Underground hazards (e.g. electrical and/or gas lines, ground water, soil conditions, potential contaminants, and archeological concerns); • Gas, electrical, and sprinkler shut offs; • Construction access to the site; • Environmental concerns (e.g. lakes, streams, silt run-off, and wildlife and tree protection); • Material stockpile locations and logistical construction details; • Site specific requirements (e.g. proximity to a school, traffic conditions, fire hydrant, utilities, nearest hospital with an emergency room. In Ontario, the Ministry of Labour requires the nearest hospital location to be posted on the job site as not everybody thinks clearly or knows where the hospital is in an emergency); and • Existing landscapes, decks, and/or trees, which need to be protected, removed, or demolished.

Safe surroundings

No project can be built without a detailed, well-thought-out design; therefore, safety should be the priority. For instance, the project’s outside perimeter is the first line of defence. In fact, most jurisdictions have minimum standards for swimming pool fences and/or enclosures.

Therefore, upon the site’s initial inspection, note the condition of existing fencing, gates (including self-closing, self-latching gates), and any additional security concerns, including steep slopes, other bodies of water (e.g. ponds, streams, and lakes), nearby balconies, elevated decks, and garages that could potentially be used as a jumping point into the pool.

The safe design of a project should be layered like an onion. The outer layer is the environment and site situation surrounding the project location, while the second layer is the actual border of the site. The third layer is the environment inside the site border, while the fourth layer is the actual body of water. The fifth and final layer includes peripheral safety standards, such as training, supervision, and support.

Pool location

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The location of a residential pool is generally dictated by its proximity to the home and prevailing site conditions such as grade and sun patterns. However, the safe location of a pool should be determined primarily by line of site and proximity to obstacles. Parents are concerned about keeping the pool visible from the home; therefore, where possible, raised spas and landscapes should not interfere with the line of site to the pool from the home or patio.

Decks and patios

Ideally, a safe pool deck should be designed to provide immediate, unrestricted access to all areas of the pool. This type of design is not always possible or esthetically pleasing; however, care should be taken to maximize all access points to the pool. Speed is paramount in an emergency. One should not have to step over diving boards, duck under slides, or other obstructions when traversing the pool perimeter.

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Safe features of pool decks include, adequate drainage, non-slip surfaces, textures that are bare-foot friendly, and surfaces that do not react to extreme temperatures. A jet black pool deck in the Texas sun, for example, would not be considered a safe design practice.

Stamped-concrete decks can be extremely slippery when combined with sealers; therefore, care must be taken to prevent slip-and-fall accidents in wet environments. Decks should also be designed to slope properly based on the site conditions as puddles will encourage algae growth. Decks that slope into the pool, which are not always allowed depending on local building codes, can capture precious water resources; however, it also allows debris to easily drain into the pool.

Utilities

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All electrical and gas requirements should be carried out under permit from a qualified and licensed professional. Pool and landscape lighting should be connected by a licensed electrician, while all electrical requirements concerning bonding and grounding must be strictly adhered to.

All devices should be approved by the Canadian Standards Association[6] (CSA), Underwriters Laboratories of Canada[7] (ULC), and/or the American National Standards Institute[8] (ANSI). All gas and electrical shutoffs or disconnects should also be well-marked and accessible. For instance, one option is to place a master electrical shutoff in a highly visible and marked location. This switch will turn off all power to the yard, but will not affect pool or landscape lighting. The location and operation of these shutoff devices should be part of the client orientation walkthrough.

Fencing and security

Perimeter fencing of the pool is a standard requirement in most jurisdictions. Strict adherence to these building codes is required to fulfil the obligations to the building permit. Some areas require a four-sided fence to surround the pool.

In terms of spas, a lockable cover may be sufficient, while other backyard security features include self-closing gates, along with elevated locks on outside access doors of the home.

Alarms for gates and pool interiors, along with video monitoring, can provide the homeowner with further peace of mind when they are away from the pool.

HOLD YOUR FIRE

[9]Fire features are incredible at night; however, they are also a source of danger. Often powered by propane or natural gas, these features must be treated with respect. The obvious danger is child access to the flames or hot elements; therefore, it is highly recommend flame features are not used when children are present. A secondary option is to locate any fire features in an elevated area, out of the reach of little fingers. All fire features should be approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and/or the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) and must be installed by a licensed gas and/or electrical technician.

What makes a swimming pool safe?

The pool’s interior design, which is often a forgotten frontier, is paramount to a layered safety plan. Therefore, the following should be considered:

Ease of entry/exit

All pools, depending on the size and physical layout, should be equipped with both a primary and secondary means of ingress/egress. Children (elderly, pets, and the physically challenged) will find it much easier and safer to exit a pool via built-in steps, rather than a standard pool ladder. Ideally, the steps should be positioned in the shallow end of the pool with a secondary means of egress from the deep end.

The secondary safety system could be as simple as a handhold, swim out, bench, or even a second set of built-in stairs. The coping surrounding the pool should also be rounded and provide a safe handhold for swimming children.

Traditional and safe design dictates the pool’s shallow end to be located near the home and be the primary means of entry. New visitors to a pool will often assume the end closest to the home is ‘safe,’ and, therefore, are not expecting deep water.

Water depth

Pool depth is a constant debate among pool professionals. From a safety point of view, a shallow pool wins. The so called ‘safety ledge,’ a common design element in the ’60s and ’70s, provided a shallow ledge (approximately 0.9 to 1.2 m [3 to 4 ft]) around the entire pool, which encouraged weaker swimmers to walk around the ledge and venture out into deeper water and potential danger. To prevent this from happening, safety ledges should not be included on new pool installations and should be removed on renovation projects.

Shallow pools are more practical as well as less expensive to build, maintain, and heat, making them more enjoyable for families with small children. Steep slopes, sharp edges, and unexpected obstacles should be avoided when designing pool interiors. Shallow lounging areas, rather, are ideal for infants (who are accompanied by a guardian), weaker swimmers, physically challenged, elderly, pets, and children. Ideally, a set of steps should border a shallow lounging area, avoiding a potential steep drop off into unexpected deeper water.

Pool surface

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The interior surface of the pool can also be a safety concern. For instance, the advent of vinyl-over stairs can result in a slippery pool entrance if not maintained properly, while plaster pools, with age and poor water chemistry, are subject to extremely rough surfaces. Fibreglass pool interiors are generally considered safe, while tiled pool interiors are also very safe as long as rounded edges are used for corners and steps.

Benches, steps and swim outs on all pools should have their edges defined with a tile strip or colour differentiation to aid swimmers in identifying potential obstacles or safe areas of refuge.

Plumbing design

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act[11] (VGBA) has brought a great deal of attention to the pool and spa industry. In fact, a number of well-publicized incidents have stimulated the industry into designing and building safer products.

Concerns regarding suction entrapment can be eliminated by using proper design and construction techniques. The combination of large-diameter plumbing, engineered-design, variable-drive pumps, and proper in-pool suction devices is one of the safest ways to eliminate suction entrapment. Perimeter overflow, vanishing-edge, and gutter pools should all be designed and constructed without the use of interior suction devices. Rather, water for the pool’s operation can be obtained from a remote surge tank that restricts bather access.[12]

Single-source vacuum ports have no place in a safe pool design. Instead, engineered, in-floor cleaning systems, pressure/robotic cleaners, and pool services are all safer methods of pool maintenance.

Water features and spas should also follow these design and construction techniques. Properly-sized plumbing, interior water returns, safe suctions, and sufficient turnover and sanitization, will result in warm, clean and clear water for the aquatic environment.

Lighting

Safe lighting involves not only the pool’s interior, but also its surroundings. For instance, perimeter-lit pathways, means of egress, stairways, and poolside amenities are all part of the first line of defence, while interior pool lighting should be adequate to sufficiently see all areas of the pool at night.

Design and esthetic requirements should involve different lighting zones for safety and security. Stairs and pathways should always remain lit while the pool area is being utilized, and at least one battery-operated light (portable or stationary) should be immediately available for emergency use. It is also advisable to install large lights, which are sufficient at flooding the entire yard in the event of an emergency.

Peripheral accessories

Ladders, diving boards, slides, trampolines, and ‘safety’ lines (i.e. a rope dividing the pool’s shallow end from the deep end) are potential danger areas in a pool. To avoid liability and risk, the installation of these accessories must be performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions as well as any national or local building codes and industry best practices.

Alternatives to slides and diving boards include jumping rocks, raised walls, or a simple clean-lined water vessel.

Backyard automation

Ideally, a project should be fully automated, e.g. all lighting is controlled via timers, water level is maintained via an auto-fill device, and sanitizer is administered via an auto-feed system.

Most automation systems can be locked or password protected to prevent unauthorized programming. This avoids problems of having multiple users adjusting pump speeds, flow rates, and filtration times, which can ultimately affect the pool’s safety and water quality.

In terms of spas, jet pumps and air blowers can also be set with timers to prevent overuse, and remind bathers how long they have been in the hot water.

When it comes to automating safety covers, in addition to fire and water features, care must be taken at all times (remote controls such as the IPad or IPhone must not have access to operate automated covers and fire features). For instance, water features can be programmed to shut down when an automated cover is being closed. Therefore, controls must be located where the cover can be observed while in operation.

Educate the client

A client will often select a pool builder based on their reputation, job site presence, and safety precautions in their work as they look to a builder for knowledge and expertise.

In this regard, clients should be instructed that constant adult supervision is a must when children are in the pool area, and that it is highly advisable their children take swimming and safety lessons before the pool is installed. Safety rules should also be established (e.g. access to safety equipment, working phone, reach assist pole, and first aid kit) for their particular yard.

A safety plan established before construction begins allows for less risk and liability for all concerned. A firm that plans and designs for safety, while also builds and works safely will be more successful in business.

 

Barry Justus is the founder and president of Poolscape Inc. He designs and lectures internationally, is a member of the Society of Watershape Designers and is a faculty instructor with Genesis 3 Design Group. Justus can be reached via e-mail at barry@poolscape.com[13] or by visiting www.poolscape.com[14].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/designing-and-building-safe-pools/

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