North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter A - SANITATION › Section .2500 - PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS › Section 18A .2528 - FENCES

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) Public Swimming
				  pools shall be completely enclosed by a fence, wall, building, or other
				  enclosure, or any combination thereof, which encloses the swimming pool area
				  such that all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The top of the barrier shall be at least
				  48 inches above grade measured on the side of the barrier that faces away from
				  the swimming pool. The maximum vertical clearance between grade and the bottom
				  of the barrier shall be two inches measured on the side of the barrier that
				  faces away from the swimming pool;
(2) Openings in the barrier shall not allow
				  passage of a four-inch-diameter sphere and shall provide no external handholds
				  or footholds. Solid barriers that do not have openings shall not contain
				  indentations or protrusions except for normal construction tolerances and
				  tooled masonry joints;
(3) Where
				  the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members and the distance
				  between the tops of the horizontal members is 45 inches or more, spacing
				  between the vertical members shall not exceed four inches. Where there are
				  decorative cutouts within the vertical members, spacing within the cutouts
				  shall not exceed 1.75 inches in width;
(4) Where the barrier is composed of
				  horizontal and vertical members and the distance between the tops of the
				  horizontal members is less than 45 inches, the horizontal members shall be
				  located on the swimming pool side of the fence. Spacing between the vertical
				  members shall not exceed 1.75 inches in width. Where there are decorative
				  cutouts within the vertical members, spacing within the cutouts shall not
				  exceed 1.75 inches in width;
(5)
				  Maximum mesh size for chain link fences shall be a 2.25 inch square unless the
				  fence is provided with slats fastened at the top or the bottom that reduce the
				  openings to no more than 1.75 inches;
(6) Where the barrier is composed of diagonal
				  members, the maximum opening formed by the diagonal members shall be no more
				  than 1.75 inches;
(7) Access gates
				  shall comply with the dimensional requirements for fences and shall be equipped
				  to accommodate a locking device. Effective April 1, 2011, pedestrian access
				  gates shall open outward away from the pool and shall be self-closing and have
				  a self-latching device except where a gate attendant and lifeguard are on duty.
				  Gates other than pedestrian access gates shall have a self-latching device.
				  Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device is located less than 54
				  inches from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism shall require the use
				  of a key, combination or card reader to open or shall be located on the pool
				  side of the gate at least three inches below the top of the gate, and the gate
				  and barrier shall have no openings greater than 0.5 inch within 18 inches of
				  the release mechanism; and
(8)
				  Ground level doors and windows opening from occupied buildings to inside the
				  pool enclosure shall be self-closing or child protected by means of a barrier
				  or audible alarm.