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The European Parliament have already passed advisory laws governing pool safety products and procedures relating to both public and private swimming pools.
However, these have not yet become enforceable Directives throughout the whole of Europe - i.e. there are local Spanish pool safety laws and EU pool safety directives & guidelines, but as yet, there are no EU wide laws in place. However, the fact that Spanish Law governing pool fencing around communal pools is now starting to be enforced, it is highly likely that similar laws will soon be put in place with regard to private pools.

Child Safety Action Plan and Report Cards
Current Legal Situation for Pools in Spain and the Canary Islands
Planned Legislation on Pool Safety Fencing
The European Child Safety Alliance
LATEST NEWS - PRESS RELEASE MARCH 2010

The Child Safety Action Plan and Report Cards

The Child Safety Action Plan is part of a huge European initiative led by the European Child Safety Alliance of Eurosafe, with co-funding and partnership from the European Commission, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), UNICEF, WHO-Europe, and partners in 26 countries including Sociedad Española de Cirugía Infantil in Spain.

One of the objectives of this ongoing project was to establish a set of indicators and standardised data collection tools focusing on child and adolescent injury. The results of this activity were published last year and provide a summary for 24 participating countries, of which Spain is one. Child Safety Profiles and Child Safety Report Cards 2009 provide the benchmarks necessary to facilitate the development of national government endorsed action plans to enhance child and adolescent safety in Europe.

May 6 was the launch of Child Safety Report Cards in 24 Member States and much needed attention was given to water safety and drowning prevention. As drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for European children and youths, a renewed call was made for new or continued action for Member States.

Following this, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policies hosted on May 25 a conference on injury prevention with a focus on child injury prevention. The discussions were opened by Ildefonso Hernández Aguado Director General of Public Health with key note plenaries provided by Francesca Racioppi of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Violence and Injury Prevention and Joanne Vincenten, Director of the European Child Safety Alliance. In the closing remarks of the conference the Ministry of Health and Social Policies made a specific commitment to place more focus on the prevention of child injuries and particularly in the area of water safety.

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The current legal situation for swimming pools in Spain and the Canary Islands

Decree 212/2005 contains details of the current legislation with regard to swimming pools in Spain and the Canary Islands. This legislation relates specifically to communal pools, but these regulations will be used as a framework for any pools which are currently exempt from the law i.e. private pools.

i.e. The Canarian law now in place which states that if a communal pool is exempt from the obligation to have a lifeguard, then it must have a safety fence with a lockable gate to prevent access to the pool area by unaccompanied minirs will be used as the framework for pool safety laws for private pools.

Spain's planned legislation with regard to the laws on pool safety fencing - translation from the Ministeria de Sanidad y Politica Social - la Jornada Sobre Prevencion de lesiones y promocion de la seguridad, 25 May 2009:-

1. Fencing mandatory for Public pools

2. Fencing mandatory for Private pools

3. Requirements for certification and renewal of lifeguards at beaches and pools

4. Minimum required number of lifeguards at beaches

5. Minimum number of lifeguards at Public pools

6. Minimum number of lifeguards at Private pools (Urbanisations/Communities)

7. Obligations for Public pools:-

þ       Water depth markers
þ       Steps defined by coloured borders
þ       Rescue Equipment
þ       Cover on suction holes
þ       Other (specify in comments)

8. Obligations for Private pools obligation:-

þ       Water depth markers
þ       Colored edges of steps
þ       Rescue Equipment
þ       Covers on suction holes
þ       Other (specify in comments)

9. Mandatory safety signs in public swimming pools e.g. running prohibited

10. Mandatory safety signs in private pools

11. Compulsory swimming lessons within the curriculum

12. Obligation to keep the wells covered and marked

13. Safety flotation devices for children

14. Compulsory safety flotation devices for swimmers of all ages

For more detailed information on Spain's Action Plan and planned legislation, please click here for the complete pdf document from the Ministeria de Sanidad y Politica Social (in Spanish):-

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In a press release from Eurosafe on 9 March 2010, it was stated that Spain has begun implementing a series of actions targeting drowning and water safety, including the adoption by the Spanish Ministry of Health of 'Water Safety Guidelines for Recreation Service Providers'

For more information on Spain's participation with the European Child Safety Alliance, please visit:-

Please click on the links at the top of this page for specific details on European law and the laws for communal pools and the law for private pools.
 

Provide your family and/or your guests with something priceless, but something money can buy - Peace of Mind.
 

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