Safety worries - Did it affect your decision to go AGP?

[MNPoolDreamer]

Hi, new here. I really want to get a pool but my DH and I are so worried about safety. We live in a neighborhood that has many small children (probably close to 100 under age 10). Our worry is that even if we fence the yard (expensive), a child might still enter the yard, and get into the pool. The city doesn't have any fence regulation for AGP as long as the wall height is 48 inches. I know we could put a "fence thing" around the top of the pool but we still worry a child could get in and drown.

We'd love an inground but the cost is too much.

My question is, do safety issues ever worry you? Did safety drive your decision to have an AGP?

We are at work all day so we can't keep an eye on the pool during the day. All the alarms in the world won't stop a wondering child from drowning if they got over the fence.

Thanks,

No pool yet. Would like an 18X33 but Hardcover restrictions might drop that to 15X30.

 

[dmanb2b]

It did not for us...my concerns would be the same ingound or above ground, if you ensure access is restricted and meets your local saftey codes...the risk is minimized...there is still risk with either vs not having a pool, but it is a decision you have to be comfortable with. Just remember that the little intex and splash pools are way more risky as folks tend to forget about saftey requirements, because they feel it's not a "real" pool...in fact it's even easier for a child to climb into...just my two cents

 

[MikeInTN]

Nope...before we built our entrance deck, we used a detachable pool ladder that I removed every time we were through with the pool, and when we built our deck, codes required a self-closing, self-latching gate with the latch a certain distance away from the top of the gate and with no openings greater than 1/2" (I think) in the railing for the first 18" or so to keep little hands away from the latch. We have a middle school behind our house, and so far so good - no kiddies have even attempted to get in the pool.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

We have a lot of kids here too...some with real Juvie potential.

For our protection, we have an umbrella policy.

Pre deck days, we had the removable ladder too. Our deck has the self-latching gate and we lock it when the pool is not used. For added safety we could have put in a rail around the pool, but we have a 6 foot fence in the yard so we felt the rail was overkill.

I have not experienced anyone trying to sneak in the pool. (Perhaps my rep precedes me, they know they won't survive my wrath? LOL).

Put up a "no tresspassing" sign and/or better yet a BEWARE OF DOG sign, put a sign indicating "Pit Bulls are your Friend" buy a rather large dog bowl and toy, leave it on the patio... :lol:

The only thing that affected my decision to go AGP vs. IG was my wallet.

 

[Lazyman]

With 100 kids there MUST be at least one pool in the neighborhood already. Why don't you ask them if they have any tresspassers or what they've done with their pool safety fencing, etc.. You may be able to just take a quick look at their setup and see what works and use it for yourself. Good luck.

 

[MikeInTN]

<snip> Put up a "no tresspassing" sign and/or better yet a BEWARE OF DOG sign, put a sign indicating "Pit Bulls are your Friend" buy a rather large dog bowl and toy, leave it on the patio... :lol: <snip>

My favorite sign was the one that Matt4x4 had. It had a picture of his German Shepherd and said "I can make it from here to the fence in 4.3 seconds...can you?" or something to that effect... :lol:

 

[Cassiopeia]

With 100 kids there MUST be at least one pool in the neighborhood already. Why don't you ask them if they have any tresspassers or what they've done with their pool safety fencing, etc.. You may be able to just take a quick look at their setup and see what works and use it for yourself. Good luck.

What an excellent response!

Well I have an AG and safety was not a consideration. The only thing that kept me from getting an IG pool is the fact that I have a tiny backyard.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

<snip> Put up a "no tresspassing" sign and/or better yet a BEWARE OF DOG sign, put a sign indicating "Pit Bulls are your Friend" buy a rather large dog bowl and toy, leave it on the patio... :lol: <snip>

My favorite sign was the one that Matt4x4 had. It had a picture of his German Shepherd and said "I can make it from here to the fence in 4.3 seconds...can you?" or something to that effect... :lol:

:lol: I like that!

 

[NWMNMom]

I would fence the pool area or yard, just for insurance purposes. You don't have to have a very expensive fence setup but there must be something you can do that way. Frankly, the little kids are not the issue for sneaking into a pool anyway - especially if you are fenced. It's the teenagers and pre-teens that get it into their heads to go over fences, etc. Most states have what is called an "Attractive Nuicance" liabilty law - which means if you have a pool, you may reasonably expect children or young people to want to come near or in the pool. You must take reasonable actions to mitigate any possibility of an accident - simply put, if you don't fence (even if you don't have the ordinance) you are automatically liable for any injury or damages.

Get some type of fencing, put up signs and either get a dog or make it look like you have one. Get the locking ladder (swings up and has a padlock on it to be able to prevent it from being usable) - get a locking entrance to the pool deck if you have one, plant or place shrubbery or other material around the immediate edges of the pool which make it difficult for anyone to stand, jump or climb over the sides. Do not place any structures or items near the edges that make it easier for someone to access the pool over the sides or anywhere else other than the restricted access entry system. In other words, be proactive instead of reactive - think of all the ways YOU would try to get into a pool if you were 9-13 years old - little kids are easily detered with gates and fences, pre-teens/tweens/teens are a tougher crowd and more likely to be the ones who have an accident and drown in your unattended pool if you have at least the minimum in standard restricted access.

 

[Dennis]

Hi PoolDreamer. That is an outstanding question to ask before you buy that pool. If you cannot keep it safe, you don't want it. I like that.

There are many safety devices on the market to keep your pool safe. Your primary concern is making sure toddlers cannot get anywhere near it while you are gone. Unless you go with property alarms and cameras set up at various places you may not be able to keep all the neighborhood kids out of the pool, but for a reasonable expense, you should be able to keep out the toddlers, those that could easily drown in an above ground pool.

I have a Google alert that emails me every time they index the words "above ground pool". For over a year now, all summer long, I get at least one a day about a drowning. I am doing my part to Help Stop The Drowning

http://www.shadebuilder.com/stop-the-drowning.html

I hope all of you are too.

Dennis