A backyard pool means a lot of fun, but it also comes with its array of liabilities to every pool owner. Today, we have created a practical guide to make you aware of the responsibility involved in owning a swimming pool, saving you from legal hassles and financial liabilities.
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Understanding The Safety Precautions
Many homeowners are wise enough to undertake every safety precaution concerning their backyard pool.
- Build a Pool Fence
The best safety measure a pool owner can take is to install a fence around the pool. It acts as a barrier to prevent your kids or pets from falling into the pool water when you are not there to supervise them.
Ideally, the pool fence gate must open outwards and should be self-latching. There are laws in some states regarding fence height & specifications.
- Install An Alarm System
If you want to add an extra layer of protection to keep your kid or pet out of the pool water, install a pool alarm system that alerts the owner when there is an attempt to open the pool gate.
- Pool Enclosure
Constructing a pool enclosure secure your pool, and protect your kids from those who stray from supervision. Fencing is not childproof, but a pool enclosure is. When severe weather such as storms and rain strikes, the enclosure ensures that everyone is safe within.
- Solar Pool Cover
Besides keeping the pool water warm throughout the year, a solar pool cover is effective to keep your kid and pet away from pool water, when no adult is present. A solar pool cover could be used in addition to a pool enclosure.
Understanding the Liability Issues
Pool owner — be it a private club, public pool, or a homeowner — has to face potential liability claims, if the visitor at their pool gets injured. Liability is not implied automatically; it majorly depends on the relationship between the pool owner and the victim. There is an exception when the injured person is a trespasser.
The pool owner owes a high standard of care when a kid is around the pool, especially your child’s friends, including warning them of obvious dangers to them. Here, are the following circumstances under which a pool owner is responsible for pool drowning in their backyard pool:
- The child was not supervised adequately.
- The pool problems were not fixed on time.
- The pool was not fenced properly.
- There is no safety equipment around.
Understanding The Insurance Considerations
Most pools have two insurance considerations, one is the damage coverage, and the other is liability coverage. If you invest in necessary efforts to secure your swimming pool when you have a pool company build it (click here) — such as installing a pool cover, fencing, and other safety measures — then you will get additional discounts on the interest rate.
Speak with your insurance agent to guide you with the pool insurance coverage. You can evaluate your current home insurance coverage if it covers the pool.
In the end, no adult can be around the pool all the time, swimming could pose a danger. There is where constructing a pool enclosure and swimming pool cover is also vital. If you adhere to the safety measures, the chance of avoiding all kinds of accidents is minimized.
