At Southern Elegance Pools we take pool safety very seriously. That’s why we’ve taken steps to ensure that our pools meet or exceed all state and federal pool safety laws, including the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. In Jacksonville, Florida, the safety requirements for swimming pools are governed by the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act. For more details visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/ and https://www.poolsafely.gov/. Here are your pool safety options:
Protecting people from getting inside your pool from outside your property.
- Yard Fence and Gates that meet pool code: All swimming pools in Jacksonville must have a fence or barrier that is at least 4 feet high and surrounds the entire pool area. The fence or barrier must also have a self-closing and self-latching gate that opens away from the pool area.
- A Screen Enclosure with doors that meet pool code.
- An Automatic Pool Cover- A pool cover that meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards is an acceptable alternative to a fence or barrier.
Protecting people from getting into your pool from inside your house.
- Install a child safety barrier that meets pool code. Guardian Pool Safety Fences is a local company that we recommend.
- Buoy float alarm or on deck alarm complying with ASTM F2208-08 Ensure that your pool has an approved pool alarm that sounds when the water is disturbed or the pool cover is removed.
- Home alarms that comply UL 2017. Ensure that all doors and windows that provide direct access to the pool area have an alarm that sounds when the door or window is opened.
- An Automatic Pool Cover that complies with ASTM F 1346-91.
If you have young children:
We strongly recommend that you use a solid barrier such as a, child safety fence, (as mentioned above ), between your home and your pool. A gate is able to be added that meets pool code. We also recommend swim lessons such as ISR or Jax Mobile Swim.
If you’re having a party:
We strongly suggest that you hire a lifeguard or use a designated pool watcher system, in which at least 1 responsible adult is paying full attention to the swimmers and pool at all times.
Drain & Drain Covers:
If there is a broken or missing drain cover, this should be replaced immediately, and the pool shall remain closed until repaired. In addition, even with the new codes and the Virginia Graeme Baker Act Act, we strongly recommend avoiding playing around the drains, and not allowing hair to be directly over them.
For more information and safety tips visit:
FSPA Safety- http://www.floridapoolpro.com/safety/
Safe Kids- https://www.safekids.org/