![]() Consumer Product Safety Commission," she says. "Ladders are the single most prevalent means by which young children access the pool and drown, based on fatality data from the U.S. Pollack-Nelson says that proposed revisions to F2666 will incorporate requirements for a child-resistant pool ladder. "Performance standards that mitigate the hazard of drowning beyond warnings and instructions are necessary and now being considered by the subcommittee," she says. More needs to be done, according to Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D., Independent Safety Consulting, who is a member of Committee F15 on Consumer Products. It also includes requirements for ladders, structural integrity, pumps and filters, and warning signs, among other components. The standard addresses the hazards of portable pools: childhood drowning, sanitation, electrical safety and entrapment. An ASTM standard ( F2666) supports portable-pool safety for pools no deeper than 91 cm or 36 in. For both playground and pool fences, "Compliance to the standard is in addition to supervision, not to replace it," says F14 member Scott Burton, president of Safety Play Inc.įamilies choose portable pools (inflatable or framed) to enjoy at their homes without the expense of an in-ground pool. state-based pool safety laws, such as those in California (which uses many ASTM standards in this area), cite this specification.Ĭommittee F14 is responsible for many other fence standards, including fences around playgrounds. ![]() Another standard covers requirements for removable mesh fencing ( F2286). Importantly, the standard was based in part on recommendations from consumer safety and medical groups. One standard ( F1908), intended for local codes and ordinances, covers such specifics as a fence's height, its distance from the ground, and gates. Standards from ASTM Committee F14 on Fences describe what's needed to fence in backyard pools, hot tubs and spas. Good fences may make good neighbors, but they also make for safe pools and are usually required around pools by law. Today, ASTM members are working harder than ever to advance pool safety - as well as quality pool construction - through standards for fences, pools and related areas. Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates, with most drowning deaths occurring in home swimming pools.3 According to the Centers for Disease Control, every day, about 10 people die from unintentional drowning. In the United States alone, people take to the water in more than 10 million swimming pools.1 Whether for fun, relaxation or exercise, a pool can be a wonderful place to enjoy a few hours.Ī pool is also a great responsibility, and safety is part of that, particularly given that in America alone, about half of the population can't swim.2 (See sidebar for Pool Safety Tips.) Statistics on drowning are sobering. There's something appealing about the sparkling water in a pool. How ASTM standards contribute to safer pool use and quality construction.
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