Cracks Down on Swimming Pool Safety Violations

Hampstead Cracks Down on Swimming Pool Safety Violations

(some great ideas for Nova Scotia)

Article online since June 28th 2007, 14:12 from The Chronicle West End Edition, Serving English Montreal since 1925

http://www.westendchronicle.com/article-117730-Hampstead-cracks-down-on-swimming-pool-safety-violations.html
BY MARTIN C. BARRY

The Town of Hampstead is taking measures to ensure safety by residents who own swimming pools — starting with rigid enforcement of existing municipal regulations.

At town council's monthly public meeting on May 7, a revised version of a pool safety bylaw was tabled and passed with at least one important amendment.

“All we really did was to change a warning to a fine," said Councillor Bonnie Feigenbaum, summing up Hampstead's new zero tolerance towards anyone who fails to meet the safety requirements for pool safety.

“We're not taking any chances," said Feigenbaum. "We're a community that has a growing number of home pools … Safety has to take precedence … It's not three strikes and you're out … One strike and you're fined."

According to Feigenbaum, Hampstead town council was working on the updated bylaw since last year. "We're lucky that we didn't have to react," she said, noting the tougher stance was not the result of any pool-related accidents. "We have taken a pro-active stance from the beginning.”

Mayor William Steinberg said council's most immediate concern was that pool gates would remain firmly closed if there are adults watching over children, and locked when no adults are present. "That, of course, is to prevent a tragedy from possibly happening," he said.

“We haven't had any in Hampstead and we don't want to have any. We now have this bylaw in place, which allows us, if an officer sees a gate open or closed but not locked and nobody around, to issue a ticket right away.”

Previously, Hampstead's rules about gates were in the town's zoning bylaw and did not make provision for immediate enforcement. "That is one of the motivating factors for making this separate bylaw," added Steinberg.

Among some of the bylaw's stipulations, it forbids the installation of slides or diving platforms for above-ground pools. For in-ground pools, diving platforms must be a maximum one metre above the surface of the water, where the water depth is at least three metres.”

While permanent lighting is mandatory at pools used at night, the light cannot be directed onto neighbours' property, nor can it be switched on between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. A pool must also be completely surrounded by a fence not less than six feet high at all points. Any gate providing access to a pool must be provided with a self-latching device situated on the interior side of the enclosure.”

The latch must be locked with a key or a padlock when the pool is not under the direct supervision of an adult.”

Persons who contravene provisions of the pool bylaw are subject to fines ranging from $500 and $1,000 on a first offence, up to $2,000 for any subsequent offences. The fines are twice as high for organizations.