New Standard Covers Safety of Portable Pools
A new ASTM International standard, F 2666, Specification for Aboveground Portable Pools for Residential Use, is available to enhance the safety of portable pools. All swimming pools pose certain risks, but these pools are special because they are not likely to be surrounded by a barrier to keep youngsters and others out, said Carol Pollack-Nelson, a Rockville, Md. human factors psychologist and safety consultant who serves on several ASTM committees, including F15. Its F15.60 subcommittee developed this standard.
The reasons why a portable pool may lack the barrier include lack of awareness among consumers and the prohibitive cost of a permanent barrier when compared to the relatively low cost of a portable pool. The standard sets performance requirements, including the ability of the pools to resist horizontal and vertical forces that could cause the pool to collapse. It also requires that ladders sold with portable pools meet the applicable requirements found in ANSI/APSA-4, Standard for Aboveground/Onground Residential Swimming Pools.
F 2666 also covers water removal; filtration equipment; ground fault circuit interrupters; suction and entrapment hazards; warnings and product instructions; and more. It is the first in a projected series of standards from this subcommittee that will cover safety pool covers, affordable alarms, and barriers that work for portable pools and other future technology.
To contact Pollack-Nelson, call 301-340-2912 or e-mail [email protected].