Why Are Rigid Plastic Pools Safer Than Inflatable?

No Fence, Easy Access

• Because inflatable swimming pools are so affordable, buyers may not think about spending time and money to build a fence around them to prevent unsupervised access by children. Most areas have no laws regarding inflatable plastic pools. Unrestricted access to inflatable pools, however, has resulted in drowning deaths, with most occurring at times when young children were not expected to be near the pool area.

  Rigid plastic pools are also a hazard when unsupervised. Because they are generally more durable and last longer, though, their owners are more often likely to build a fence around them. Rigid plastic pools' walls increase the risk of injury to swimmers who are not careful while playing in the pools.

Design Dangers

• Other safety risks are also present in inflatable pools. In most swimming pools, the filter intake is near the water surface, but in inflatable pools it is up to 11.8 inches below the water surface. If a filter intake is not covered properly, it can entrap a person or animal. In 2005, a 13-year-old girl’s hair got caught in the pump of a relative’s pool filter, resulting in her death by drowning.

Phthalates

• Inflatable pools present health risks in the form of phthalates, which are chemicals used to add flexibility and resilience to an inflatable pool's walls as well as many other consumer products. Evidence was increasing, as of mid-2011, that phthalates can have negative effects on health, such as affecting reproduction and development, and causing respiratory problems. Phthalates are more likely to leach into the water of inflatable pools than rigid plastic pools.

Safety Tips

• Many sources offer swimming pool safety tips no matter what type of pool is involved. Among those sources is the Health Canada website. Its swimming pool safety tips are linked in the Resources section.