Pool Safety Survey

As a part of Environmental Health's commitment to ensuring safety in Santa Clara County, the department is embarking on a pool safety survey, conducting Pool Enclosure Structural Reviews. These inspections at all public swimming pool facilities are an effort to reduce the risk of drowning incidents.

During these inspections environmental health inspectors are evaluating the features of the fences and gates to ensure they meet the requirements outlined in the California Building Code. The fences and gates should be built in a way that prevents children from entering the pool area unsupervised. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drowning is cited as the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 and ranks as the leading cause of accidental injury related deaths among children between ages 5-14. The CDC emphasizes that proper pool fencing can be extremely effective in keeping children from gaining access to swimming pools without adult supervision.

Environmental Health inspectors have noted that many pools are properly enclosed. However, there are dozens of pools that require safety enhancements. Some of the identified concerns include gates that do not close automatically, fencing gaps that are too wide for child safety, fences that are easy to climb over and objects near fences that could aid a child in climbing into the pool area. In some cases, inspectors may temporarily close a pool until these issues are resolved. Sometimes, the pool may be permitted to stay open as the facility works on making the required repairs or corrections.

Each year inspectors from Environmental Health conduct inspections at nearly 3,300 swimming pools, spas, waterslides and spraygrounds to ensure the safety and well-being of the public. Additionally, through the pool plan check process, Environmental Health plays a role in approving designs and conducting inspections during construction, for pool projects, upgrades, and renovations.