Although not restricted to seasons, child drownings do happen more frequently in summer months. Parents are reminded to be vigilant about pool safety and to take steps to avoid a tragedy. Furthermore, pool owners need to understand that safety is addressed as a regulatory issue via the SABS.
PowerPlastics Pool Covers, the brains behind the consistently top-selling PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover and an active educator, has worked tirelessly with municipal leaders, the SABS, and other decision makers to bring about change through regulation. The Building Standard SANS 10134, which calls for every private swimming pool to have a child and pet safety cover of a specified standard and quality, cannot be ignored.
But not all safety covers are made equal. How do you ensure you are getting a compliant product and not an accident waiting to happen? The questions to ask are:
- Does the safety cover have SABS certification?
- After rain, does the water drain off within 15 minutes, leaving no water pooled on top of the cover? Drainage holes are essential.
- Could an object measuring 114mm fit under the edge of the cover? This represents the size of a small child’s head.
- Is the cover’s weight tolerance 220kg or more? Can two adults and a child walk on it without harm to themselves or damage to the cover?
- Are the batons supporting the cover manufactured for solid safety pool covers and able to carry the intended weight? Similarly, are the ratchets of adequate quality?
- Are suppliers and the installers accredited and do they carry a certificate of compliance for SANS 10134?
“PowerPlastics Pool Covers has again been first to market with the latest development, supplying actual certification with every PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover installed. This is an independently verified certification system on par with Europe and USA, who have long established safety frameworks,” says Roger Bester, Managing Director of PowerPlastics Pool Covers.
The PowerPlastics Pool Covers Special Projects division also continues to successfully cover tricky and intricate pool designs with solid safety covers – the jobs turned down by less experienced suppliers.
“Our goal is simple: to stop drownings – and we will do whatever it takes. Pool owners are well advised to ask the hard questions when choosing a supplier,” concludes Bester.
Chat to PowerPlastics Pool Covers for more info on SANS 10134 and the PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover.
