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May is National Water Safety Month<\/a>, and while many of the conversations surrounding pool safety tend to focus on supervision, swim lessons, and drowning prevention education, one of the most important physical layers of protection around a swimming pool is often overlooked entirely \u2014 the barrier system itself.<\/p>\n For many homeowners, a pool fence is treated as little more than a code requirement or decorative backyard feature. But according to Jeremy Brongo, owner of Florida State Fence<\/a>, the details surrounding a properly designed and maintained pool barrier can make a tremendous difference when seconds matter most.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that a fence can do is prolong the time that it takes for a child to get close to a pool,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cSo it\u2019s just an added layer of protection that doesn\u2019t allow the children to accidentally fall into the pool.\u201d<\/p>\n That idea \u2014 buying precious time \u2014 sits at the heart of modern pool safety philosophy.<\/p>\n Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death for young children in the United States, and nowhere is the issue more pronounced than in Florida. According to Florida Department of Health data, the state routinely leads the nation in child drowning fatalities<\/a> among children ages 1-4. In many cases, the incidents occur in residential swimming pools.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s year-round swimming weather, combined with the sheer number of residential pools throughout the state, helped push lawmakers to adopt some of the country\u2019s strongest residential pool barrier laws decades ago.<\/p>\n Brongo says the speed at which these incidents occur is something many homeowners fail to fully appreciate until tragedy strikes close to home.<\/p>\n \u201cYou always hear families or someone that has dealt with somebody who they know that has drowned in a pool,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cThey always say that it happened so quick.\u201d<\/p>\n That reality is one reason why safety experts increasingly stress the importance of layered protection around pools rather than relying on any one single solution.<\/p>\n The concept of a \u201cPyramid of Pool Safety<\/a>,\u201d is an approach heavily promoted throughout the aquatics industry. The idea is simple: no single device or technology is foolproof on its own.<\/p>\n Fences, alarms<\/a>, supervision, swim lessons, self-closing gates, drain safety systems<\/a>, and water competency all work together as overlapping layers of protection.<\/p>\n Adam Katchmarchi, Vice President of Educational Development at Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, previously told Pool Magazine that while technology is making advancements in assisting in drowning prevention, \u201cthere is no replacement for barriers<\/a>, supervision, and water competency.\u201d<\/p>\n Brongo echoes that same philosophy from the barrier side of the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cI think just giving that extra layer of protection buys you more time,\u201d he explained. \u201cIf a toddler or child gets away from you temporarily, it gives you those few extra precious moments to act and help try to keep children safe .\u201d<\/p>\n One of the biggest misconceptions homeowners have is that any backyard fence automatically satisfies pool safety laws.<\/p>\n In reality, Florida\u2019s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act<\/a> contains very specific requirements governing residential barriers and controlled access around pools.<\/p>\n \u201cThat law requires residential pools to have at least one approved safety feature designed to restrict or detect unsupervised access,\u201d Brongo explained. \u201cThe most common solution is a compliant barrier system around the pool, such as a fence.\u201d<\/p>\n The problem, according to Brongo, is that many homeowners never realize how technical those requirements actually become.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people just assume that if they have a fence, then they\u2019re compliant,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cBut the fence actually has a lot of specifications that make it pool compliant<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Pool barriers<\/strong> in Florida must generally be at least 48 inches tall and designed to discourage climbing. But even something as simple as the placement of a horizontal rail can create a code issue.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a horizontal bar in the fence, that will allow a small child to put their foot in there and basically act as a ladder,\u201d Brongo said. \u201cSo the spacing between any horizontal members on the fence has to be greater than 45 inches.\u201d<\/p>\n While the fence itself matters, Brongo says the gate is often the single most critical component of the entire system.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say the gate\u2019s probably the number one most important part of the fence,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cThat\u2019s naturally where people tend to walk and tend to go to access a pool.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida law requires pool gates to be self-closing and self-latching, but Brongo says homeowners often underestimate how important proper operation truly is.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the gate for some reason closes but doesn\u2019t fully latch, and the gate\u2019s still accessible or has the ability to get in, that can become an issue,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Another requirement many people never realize exists is the direction the gate swings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gate\u2019s required to swing out. The gate cannot swing in,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know this.\u201d<\/p>\n The reasoning behind that rule is surprisingly practical. Young children naturally push forward against barriers. If a gate swings inward and isn\u2019t fully latched, a child leaning into it could accidentally open access directly to the pool.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it swings out, if a child walks up, they\u2019re not going to have the ability to reach up to where the handle of the latch should be,\u201d Brongo explained. \u201cAnd if they lean on the fence, it would typically latch and wouldn\u2019t open.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the biggest safety risks surrounding pool barriers<\/strong> aren\u2019t actually part of the fence itself.<\/p>\n Brongo says his company frequently encounters situations where homeowners unknowingly create climbing hazards around otherwise compliant barriers.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the main ones is if there\u2019s something left near a fence or some type of pool equipment or AC equipment that\u2019s too close to a fence and can be used as an object that someone can climb on,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s just not something that\u2019s thought about very often.\u201d<\/p>\n Furniture, planters, coolers, storage bins, and even landscaping can all unintentionally compromise a barrier system over time.<\/p>\n That same gradual change is why maintenance becomes so important.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say people tend to get complacent and they don\u2019t maintain,\u201d Brongo explained. \u201cThe fence may have been installed pool-compliant at one time, but over time, the gate might not be functioning the same way that it was the day it was installed.\u201d<\/p>\n Pool owners should routinely inspect hinges, latches, springs, closures, and surrounding conditions to ensure the barrier is still performing correctly years after installation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gates usually are just an easy adjustment,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cMost of the hinges on our gates are spring-loaded. You can adjust the tension with an Allen wrench. It takes no more than two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Brongo, barrier planning should never be treated as an afterthought.<\/p>\n In Florida, barrier systems are directly tied into the final stages of pool construction and inspection.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s part of the pool safety inspection here in Florida,\u201d said Brongo. \u201cThey actually will not allow a homeowner to fill the pool with water until they have the barrier system in place.\u201d<\/p>\n That means pool owners should be discussing fencing, access points, alarms, and overall safety design alongside the original pool layout \u2014 not after construction is complete.<\/p>\n For homeowners using the house itself as part of the barrier system, additional protections may also be required.<\/p>\n \u201cAny doors leading directly to the pool area may have to have an alarm or some type of self-closing option,\u201d Brongo explained.<\/p>\n One of the reasons some homeowners resist installing pool fencing is the belief that barriers ruin the visual appeal of a backyard.<\/p>\n Brongo says modern fencing options have evolved significantly over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cFencing\u2019s come a long way,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s so many great options now for pool fences.\u201d<\/p>\n Aluminum fencing remains one of the most popular choices throughout Florida, but today\u2019s homeowners also have access to a wide variety of colors, styles, and designs capable of blending into luxury outdoor environments while still remaining code compliant.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, aesthetics should never outweigh safety.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can happen in a split second, and safety is the number one priority,\u201d Brongo said. \u201cIf there\u2019s anything that they can do to help prevent an incident, fencing is obviously one of those items.\u201d<\/p>\n Because when it comes to pool safety, the details most people miss are often the ones that matter most.<\/p>\n Listen to our entire conversation with Jeremy Brongo on the Pool Magazine podcast.<\/p>\n The post Pool Barrier Safety: The Small Details That Matter Most<\/a> appeared first on PoolMagazine.com – Get The Latest Pool News<\/a>.<\/p>\n from Safety Archives – PoolMagazine.com – Get The Latest Pool News https:\/\/ift.tt\/zx7dmfI<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" May is National Water Safety Month, and while many of the conversations surrounding pool safety tend to focus on supervision, swim lessons, and drowning prevention education, one of the most important physical layers of protection around a swimming pool is often overlooked entirely \u2014 the barrier system itself. For many homeowners, a pool fence is … <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.poolmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pool-fence-system-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nDrowning Prevention Starts With Safety<\/h2>\n
Barriers, Part of The Pyramid of Pool Safety<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nFlorida Leading The Way By Necessity<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.poolmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/self-latching-pool-gate-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe Gate Is The Most Important Part<\/h2>\n
The Hidden Problems Homeowners Miss<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.poolmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pool-perimeter-fence-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhen To Plan A Pool Barrier<\/h2>\n
Safety And Backyard Design Can Coexist<\/h2>\n
Ready to take a deeper dive?<\/h3>\n
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