This is what I found on a recent pre purchase inspection:

A well  constructed swimming pool with a complete pool safety fence but the gates did not shut and latch properly. The gates got out of adjustment due to small ground movement or lack of maintenance. This type of defect is the most dangerous of all because it is not immediately obvious but is deadly.

I have inspected a lot of homes with swimming pools and can tell you that more than 50%  have some sort of a defect with safety fence that makes it a deadly risk for child drowning.

Even when the fence is well built as in this case the risk was there because of lack of attention to maintenance and in other cases it is as simple as having something nearby that can be used by a child to climb over the fence and drown.

Children are smart and can surprise you with something really intelligent in finding a way over the fence then destroy you because it is also deadly for them. That’s why if you are a pool owner you can never sleep easy.

Building is fantastic because if you don’t get it right the first time you can rebuild but tragedy on the other hand has no rewind button.

Think about it. As you are reading this blog there are thousands of children at risk of drowning because of negligent or plain stupid pool owners.

God help them for sure as hell their parents are not!

For other blogs on pool safety:

http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog/building-inspection-swimming-pool-drowning-risk/

http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog/pool-safety-neglected-is-criminal-negligence/

http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog/building-inspection-i-could-save-you-more-than-just-money-how-about-childs-life/