Pool alarm is one of the four types of safety device preventing drowning risks, especially with the younger ones.
Pool alarm : what does the law say ?
Pool alarm is one of the four safety equipment types for private pools mandatory by law. As the owner of a private pool (individual or collective use), regulation requires you to have at least one of these safety systems to prevent drowning. If you do not respect this obligation, you would be fined € 45,000.
Immersion or infrared alarm
There are two certified types of pool alarm systems : the anti-immersion and infrared perimeter alarms.
The immersion sensing pool alarm works like a sonar. It is designed to detect the immersion of a child under 5 years old. If your child enters the pool or accidentally falls into water, the immersion alarm will trigger a loud alert to warn you of the danger.
The perimeter alarm consists of several infrared terminals installed around the pool. If the child gets too close to the edge and crosses the security perimeter around the pool, the alarm triggers a loud alert to warn you of the danger.
Is your pool alarm system compliant ?
Considering the law, the installer of your pool alarm system has the obligation to provide you a compliant equipment and must inform you about its characteristics, maintenance and usage procedures as well as the general rules to observe to keep your children safe.
Whatever pool alarm system you choose (immersion or infrared alarm), make sure it meets the standards required by the French Association for Standardization (Afnor).
If you have any doubt concerning the compliance of your pool alarm system, you can contact an approved technical controller, whose details are made available by the Departmental territories (DDT).
Warning : never leave your children unattended near a pool.