Pool Safety Reminders & Fencing

A Vancouver area woman is calling for stricter enforcement of pool safety bylaws in her municipality a year after a toddler died in a tragic pool accident and in the aftermath of another recent near drowning. The tragic accident occurred when an 18 month old child wandered into the pool area of his family’s rented home – the latch on the fence was faulty. Sadly it’s the most common area of drowning for children under age 5.

A few years ago, Toronto became one of the first municipalities in North America to require a fully self-contained (four-sided) swimming pool enclosure – to protect not only the curious neighbour kids but yours as well. All pool owners are required to erect and adequately maintain an enclosure that completely encloses the areas where the swimming pool is located and which has no other opening than a single gate. All entrances to adjacent buildings, including your home or garage, must be outside the enclosed area.

In order to install a swimming pool or even permit excavation to begin, you need a permit for a swimming pool enclosure.

Good, common sense regulations and enforcement are the foundation for a safe pool environment. But – nothing replaces good old fashioned vigilance. There’ s no substitute for supervision when it comes to keeping little ones safe.

The regulations apply to pools constructed after the guidelines came into place a few years ago but they provide good guidelines for all pool owners. Here are some other tips and regulations:

• Maintenance of the fencing and the gate or other access points is crucial. Toronto’ s by-law requires that if you use an electronic mechanism, it must include a back-up system in case of power disruption
• It further requires that you use a self-closing door with a self-latching device, and that it’ s locked at all times if it’s not in use
• You must have a clear line of sight from your house to the pool – you can’t even plant a tree that restricts a view of the pool from your home
• Remember to keep lifesaving devices on the deck so that they can be used quickly in the case of an emergency

The potential for danger is certainly real, but luckily, responsible pool owners have been enjoying the fun, recreation and entertaining possibilities of home swimming pools for decades. Vigilance is key.

Contact Bremner Pool & Spa today for swimming pool service, swimming pool repairs, safety tips and maintenance. Free Quotes Available.

About Bremner Pool & Spa:
Established in 1981, Bremner Pool & Spa is one of the premiere swimming pool service companies in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Scarborough and Durham Region. We operate 11 state-of-the art vehicles and offer a variety of high quality and eco-friendly products & services including swimming pool repair, openings, partial swimming pool openings, swimming pool closings, weekly pool and spa service, pool leak detection & repair, heaters, liners, pumps and more. As well, Bremner Pool & Spa complies with all City of Toronto By Laws for Pools, Hot Tubs and Spas.

We offer swimming pool services including openings, renovations, installations and maintenance throughout Toronto and the GTA including Ajax, Durham, East York, Forest Hill, Markham, North York, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Unionville, Vaughan and Whitby, Ontario.