If you’ve read some of our articles regarding inground pool regulations unique to specific towns in Northwest Indiana, then you know that many towns require you to have safety equipment equipped with and around your inground pool.
Many of these safety equipment requirements are the same, but an explanation of the need for such equipment is absent. So, we’re here to tell you why you need equipment such as life rings, alarms, security cameras, first aid kits, safety covers, and much more.
Each piece of equipment serves a purpose and should be present in case of emergencies or to help prevent those emergencies from occurring. You may not think they’re that important—that is until a situation arises where you don’t have the proper safety equipment handy. That’s not meant to scare you into purchasing the safety equipment we’ll be discussing in this article; rather, it’s meant to assist in accomplishing our goal of prompting you to consider all of the situations that could occur and how safety equipment can assist in resolving them.
Each piece of equipment is different and serves a different purpose but having a wide assortment of equipment will help you cover all of your bases. So, let’s begin!
Safety Fencing
It’s pretty much a standard requirement that your inground pool must be enclosed by something regardless of the town you live in. Typically, your pool can be enclosed by 1 of 2 means—fencing OR an automatic safety cover.
We’ll begin with fencing.
Now, if you choose to enclose your inground pool with a fence, it has to be a safety fence, meaning it must be equipped with self-closing/self-locking gates. This reduces the risk of the gate remaining unlocked and open which allows animals or small children to escape or enter the pool area without proper guidance.
We all know that isn’t a situation we’d like to find ourselves in, and a safety fence helps reduce the risk of something like that happening.
Of course, a safety fence isn’t foolproof, but it will give you better peace of mind along with greatly reducing the risk of a serious accident occurring.
Automatic Safety Cover
The other means of enclosing your inground pool, an automatic safety cover, is different from fencing in that the cover is installed as part of the pool itself.
Tracks are located on either side of the pool and the cover extends along those tracks to cover the pool’s surface. This restricts direct access to the pool whereas fencing restricts access to the entire pool area.
Now, you’re only required to have one of these means of restriction to the pool, but you can choose to have both installed if you’d like.
In the end, any choice of just fencing, just an automatic cover, or both fencing and a cover are acceptable. You just have to decide which is the best option for your pool project.
Safety Alarm
A safety alarm is another piece of safety equipment that uses underwater sensors to monitor the pool and alert you if anything with a certain weight enters it.
This can be especially effective during the nighttime hours when no one is up to monitor the pool themselves. So, say your dog gets out and gets in the pool or someone you don’t know wants to take a late dip (hey, you never know), you’ll be alerted by the alarm.
Additionally, there are more advanced alarm systems that monitor the pool for signs of drowning. But, since these are more advanced and are more commonly used in commercial pools instead of residential pools, keep in mind that they are more expensive by thousands of dollars.
Security Camera
A security camera is another method of keeping watch over your pool, just like you’d keep watch over your front door for any visitors or incidents.
You can place a security camera (or multiple cameras) around your pool area to monitor any events that take place at any time. Now, you won’t be alerted by an alarm if someone enters the premises or the pool itself, but you will be able to keep watch over your pool at any time or review footage if needed.
Think of it as a layer of security over your property just as you would front-door security cameras. And when paired with gates, fencing, alarms, and other safety features, all pieces of equipment will work together and benefit from each other.
Additional Safety Accessories
In addition to the upper echelon of safety equipment discussed above, some safety accessories are a little easier on the bank account that you can have available for your pool. Such accessories and their average prices are listed below:
- Life Ring ($75)
- Safety Rope ($25)
- First Aid Kit ($25)
- Pool Signs ($10 each)
- Anti-Slip Mats ($50 each)
These are minor pieces of equipment compared to the safety covers, security cameras, fencing, and alarms already discussed, but they still serve a great purpose. If an accident happens, these safety accessories are designed to aid in resolving the situation or even prevent them from occurring in the first place.
In the end, you make the final call about what safety equipment to equip your pool with and keep handy in case of an emergency. You may value some pieces of equipment over others, and that is perfectly fine! The status of your pool project and your property may dictate what you need and don’t need—and that is up to you to decide!
We want to make sure you have all of the information you need about these pieces of equipment and what they can offer you. With this, we hope that you’ll make the best decision to be prepared for any accidents that may arise in the future.
If you have any questions, please check out our Learning Center where we have many more articles available for you to read or contact us at (219)-322-2797!
