subject: Swimming Pool Designs: Safety Considerations Explored [print this page] The vast majority of pool owners (you may be one of them) really don't pay much attention to safety during the design process. Now, it's not that they're careless regarding safety concerns. Instead the general feeling is that safety comes in later, after the pool is finished being built and filled with water. You see, most folks just don't have a full understanding of all the things that they could do in the early stages to make a pool a safer place to swim.
So the first thing you should be aware of while you're drawing up your plans is the shallower deep-ends that has emerged over the last handful of decades. Contractors are excavating shallower to save money on construction costs. This doesn't come without consequences though because it has led to an uptick in diving board accidents from people smashing into the bottom. So if you're planning on have a diving board installed, make darn sure that your pool is deep enough.
Then new developments in fiber optics have eliminated the risk of shock or electrocution that comes with underwater electrical lighting. Fiber optics works by transferring the light through glass cables and delivering it to the lens that uses no electricity. A lens that replaces the light-bulb. Also, another big plus of fiber optics pool lighting is that because it uses no electricity, the lighting switch panel can be located on the side of the pool for easy access.
Then it may not seem like a big deal now but particularly if you have children and teenagers in your home, the risk of broken glass in the pool area is real. It's difficult to clean up in an outdoor patio setting, and if shards make it into the pool, you have a "real problem". Particularly, if it's clear glass that was broken. So consider designing a wooden deck area to locate chairs and tables, and by doing so, you cut the risk of cut-feet in and around your pool.
New high-tech electronic monitoring systems are also creating a huge buzz now, and once you see how they operate, you'll understand why. Body heat and motion sensors can guard your backyard area when you're not around, and they also function in any kind of weather. They also tell the difference between a small child and animal, so you don't have to worry about false alarms. Then another handy feature is that these systems can be programmed to call you on your phone if you have an intruder.
Then for your final layer of safety to protect you and your family from accidents is a fold up ladder for above ground pools. This clever ladder looks and functions just like any other aboveground pool ladder when it's down. The difference here though is that when you're done swimming and ready to head inside, you could just flip it up to completely block access to the water. They only cost a little more than a standard ladder too.
