Pools are fun, but children and adults can lose their life quickly. Over 4000 lives annually are lost with one-third under the age of 14. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child age 4 and under. An estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to near drownings each year; 15 percent die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent brain damage. Of all preschoolers who drown, 70 percent are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning and 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less. Drowning surpasses all other causes of death to children age 14 and under in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
A pool alarm with a loud speaker system to sound outside as well as inside the home could save a life. Even if you do not have children you should be concerned. 35% of children that drowned did so in someone else's pool. For more info, do an Internet search on pool safety or visit this website: http://www.poolsafely.gov/
What does a Pool and Spa Inspection include?
The reality of a pool inspection is that it would take two full days by a pool engineer to accurately inspect a pool. The pool should be drained, and all areas of the pool's foundation and electric should be evaluated.
Obviously we are not going to swim in, or drain the pool. We can only offer a visual inspection of the pool area. The purpose of a pool and spa inspection is to evaluate the current condition of all accessible components as well as the environment surrounding the pool and spa. Not only is it important to identify any equipment that may need repair, but the inspection should also identify any unsafe conditions that may exist. To this end the report will note the condition of the fences, gates, walkway, pool perimeter, slide, diving board, deck, rails, coping, lighting, and any other items of possible concern. Occasionally the inspection may reveal that further specialized testing is warranted.