Pool and spa safety regulations

Piscines René Pitre has developed safety advice regarding the Loi sur la sécurité des piscines résidentielles (Residential pool safety act) for its customers. We are able to properly advise you so that you may enjoy your equipment safely.

To learn more, visit our site www.perfectswimming.com

Click on the title to see the content.

Swimming pool

• +Safety tips

At Piscines René Pitre, our customers’ and their families’ security is paramount. We will forward all the necessary security regulations, so that you may spend a beautiful, safe summer.

Important instructions

• Make sure an adult is always PRESENT when children are bathing or playing near a swimming pool.
• Never swim alone.
• All children less than three years old and those who cannot swim must wear flotation equipment or proper flotation attire at all times.
• Treat your children to swimming and boating safety courses.
• Follow a pool safety course, as well as a first aid and CPR course yourself. This will allow you to have more peace of mind.
• Before each time there is swimming or bathing, completely remove and store the solar cover to avoid having a person get trapped under it.
• Regularly remove any water accumulated on the solar cover.
• After each use, drain all youngsters’ wading pools.
• Make sure that you ALWAYS remove and lock the ladder and the gate immediately after the last bather comes out of the water.
• Protect your filter with a circuit breaking detector.
• Ensure that no toy or garden furniture is near the swimming pool or fence around it, to make sure that children can’t climb into or over them.
• Do not allow children to play near the filter or pipes connected to the pool.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using equipment or cleaning products to the letter.
• Do not allow swimming or bathing if water appears cloudy or dirty. First test the water (or have it done by our expert technicians in-store) and make sure that everything is OK before swimming or bathing.
• Store (in a cool, dry place, away from children) and use all chemicals according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Young children SHOULD NEVER swim or bathe without the presence of an adult assigned to their surveillance.
• NEVER install a slide on an above-ground pool.
• NEVER allow diving in an above-ground pool.
• Keep a rescue pole or a buoy close to the pool at all times.
• At the first sign of a storm or lightning, make sure that everyone quickly leaves the pool.
• If a young child is missing around the house, check the pool first.

To learn more: Health Canada pool safety tips or our site: www.perfectswimming.com

• +Regulation regarding residential pools (Quebec)

The fence required for an above-ground, in-ground or semi-in-ground pool

• must be 1.2 m high;
• must prevent a 10 cm round object from going through between each post;
• must be impossible to climb from the outside, by preventing a person from being able to grab onto it or resting their feet on it;
• must have a door fitted with a self-closing device inside the enclosure;
• a swimming pool equipped with supporting struts must be surrounded by an enclosure.

A fence is not required if:

• the rigid wall of an above-ground swimming pool reaches 1.32 m;
• access (ladder, platform, terrace) to this type of pool is through a door which automatically closes and locks.

An in-ground or semi-in-ground pool must

• be equipped with a ladder or staircase to enter into and get out of the water.

The springboard (diving board) of an in-ground pool must

• observe the BNQ standard to ensure a safe environment for diving into the pool.

Equipment

• Any device component of the heating or water filtration system must be installed at more than 1.53 m from the edge of the above-ground pool to prevent climbing **check with your community**
• The piping that connects these devices to the pool must be flexible and must not offer support.

Mandatory permit

• To ensure compliance with the standards, each municipality now requires a permit for all new swimming pool or building installations, such as a patio or a platform which gives or prevents access to a pool.
• It is the consumer’s responsibility to check with their municipality for all local regulations in force.

References:

Laws and regulations on residential pools : www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca .

Outdoor spa

• +Safety tips on your spa
• To avoid risk to swimmers’ or bathers’ health, never heat the spa water to more than 40°C. Limit spa use to 15 minute intervals to avoid nausea.
• Due to high temperatures, a spa is not recommended for pregnant women, young children, as well as persons with high blood pressure or heart problems.
• Do not enter the spa drunk or under the influence of drugs that could cause drowsiness.
• Do not use an electrical appliance near water (radio, hairdryer, etc.).
• Hot water is an ideal medium for the spread of infections. Do not use a spa if you have open wounds. Always be careful when you enter or exit the spa.
• Remove any accumulation of snow on the cover.
• Lock the cover straps when the spa is not used.
• +Regulation concerning the residential use of a spa in Quebec

Spas (2,000 litres of water or 529 US gallons or more) are subject to the same standards as swimming pools. Note that the regulation uses the term "cuve thermale" (hot tub).

The main elements of this new law are:

• A spa with under 2,000 litres of water does not require a permit nor the installation of an enclosure. However, it must be closed using a solid lid, equipped with a safety device preventing its opening.
• A spa with a water capacity of more than 2,000 litres requires a permit and compliance with the following standards:
• It must be protected at all times using a security fence at least 1.2 meters high. The fence must completely close the perimeter of the space reserved for the spa. A hedge is not considered to be a fence.
• A wall that is part of an enclosure must not be equipped with an opening allowing entering the enclosure.

A spa installed on a gallery or terrace must be protected by a guardrail at least 1.2 meters high. The guardrail must be equipped with a safety gate, with a self-closing system and a device preventing its opening.

Pool and spa

• +Chemical product safety tips
• Read the instructions carefully.
• Always add chemicals to the water, never the other way around.
• Never mix chemicals. Add them one at a time and rinse the container before adding the next one.
• Store chemicals in a cool, dry place, out of children's reach.
• In case of contact or ingestion, follow the directions on the label or contact a poison control center at 1 800 463 - 5060.
• Never smoke near chemicals and keep containers closed between each use.
• Never store liquid above a solid.
• +Electrical safety

Piscines René Pitre, in collaboration with Hydro-Québec, offers its clients an interactive tool to check whether your pool or spa meets electrical safety installation standards.

Click HERE to access electrical safety: pool and spa .