Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools [and] How To Plan for the Unexpected.

Each year, hundreds of young children die and thousands come close to death due to submersion in residential swimming pools. The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission studied data on drownings and child behavior, as well as information on pool and pool barrier construction, and concluded that the best way to reduce child drownings in residential pools was for pool owners to construct and maintain barriers that would prevent young children from gaining access to pools. The Commission developed this handbook to make it easier for pool owners, purchasers, builders, technicians, and others to understand and apply guidelines. The handbook details guidelines that cover aboveground and inground pools, hot tubs, and spas. The handbook also includes information on fence and gate construction, door alarms, and general safety rules for pools. (SD)