Having your own swimming pool in the back garden is a real pleasure. However it does come with a great deal of responsibility, particularly where small children are concerned.

You can often find that you are not only responsible for your own children, but also their friends, and other family members. And this also extends to adult parties, either during the day or evening, particularly where alcohol is consumed.

And whilst no one likes to dwell on the negative aspects of owning a pool, it is as well to do everything you can to minimize the risk of an accident.

That said, there are quite a number of options on the market, all providing different levels of safety and security for your pool. And, all at different budget levels.

There is no one universal solution that is right for everyone, but it is more a case of assessing your individual needs and requirements, and also to some extent, the size and shape of your pool. So let’s take a look at a selection of the wide range of options, and budgets.

At the very low end of the spectrum of solutions, is the pool alarm. This type of system is law in France, and more recently in Spain, but the UK for some reason are not enforcing it, despite recent drowning incidents.

Pool alarms come in many different shapes and sizes, but basically this is a device that sits on your pool edge, and is then activated, if someone falls in the pool. Most of these devices work by sensing pressure changes within the pool. Simple pool alarms start at about £150 up to £350.

The second level of device you could consider, is the electronic perimeter. This is created by 4 posts positioned at the corners of your pool, set approximately 1 metre away from the pool edge. Each of the posts send and receive infrared signals, and create an invisible perimeter ‘fence’ around your pool. The added benefit of these is that they detect and prevent the accident even happening, as once someone passes through the invisible barrier, the alarm is sounded. This type of solution costs around £400-£600. However the downside of this solution is that you can’t see the barrier, so you can never be sure it’s actually working.

The next level up, would be the physical barrier – ie a fence (at least 1 metre high) all around your pool. Ideally this should also have an alarmed gate for additional security. Now dependant on your pool size, shape, and location, plus the actually fencing material, this type of solution is likely to be well in excess of £1,000. With this solution, the benefits are that it is a physical barrier, and very visible, but these are also the negative points, as they can spoil the aesthetics of your pool and surrounding area. Also, if the gate should be left open by mistake, then this solution is totally ineffective.

And finally, at the top end of the market, are the swimming pool enclosures. In many cases, these meet the tough French safety standards, in terms of providing an effective safety barrier for your pool. But if you were looking at purely safety alone, then these would be a very expensive solution indeed. However pool enclosures, particularly the low profile telescopic pool enclosures, offer many other benefits, which allow you to make far more use of your pool each year, providing free heating, low maintenance, and pool safety and security.

The main thing here, is not which one you choose to be right for you, but that you Do choose one of them. Keep your swimming pool safe.