Jack · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 22 Apr 2015•Wiltshire and Swindon

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
2

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 2 recipients

Stated actions
1

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Lack of UK regulations requiring child-resistant barriers around private swimming pools
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate regulation of private swimming-pool safety

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.1

  1. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    Continue reviewing swimming-pool safety matters, taking the coroner’s findings into account.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.2

  1. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    Owners and occupiers are responsible for identifying and reducing swimming-pool safety hazards on their property.

    Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
  2. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    Building regulations cannot effectively address swimming-pool safety because they cover limited new work, exclude outdoor pools, lack retrospective effect, and are difficult to enforce.

    Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of UK regulations requiring child-resistant barriers around private swimming pools

Wider context from the report

“I received evidence that in Australia and France it is compulsory to fence private swimming pools with child resistant barriers. I am concerned that the lack of regulations in the UK could contribute to future death from children drowning in unfenced swimming pools. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate regulation of private swimming-pool safety.

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Continue reviewing swimming-pool safety matters, taking the coroner’s findings into account.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Thank you for writing. As always, these matters are kept under review and your findings are a valued contribution to that process.”

Source location

2015-0154-Response-by-Department-for-Communities-and-Local-Government
Page 2 · response
Published 22 April 2015

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Owners and occupiers are responsible for identifying and reducing swimming-pool safety hazards on their property.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Instead, it is expected that owners/occupiers will be responsible for the safety of people upon their property, identifying hazards and seeking to reduce them by implementing the kind of straightforward measures advised by RoSPA. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools (HSG179), which provides guidance for commercial swimming pools, can also be used for domestic swimming pools.”

Source location

2015-0154-Response-by-Department-for-Communities-and-Local-Government
Page 1 · response
Published 22 April 2015

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Building regulations cannot effectively address swimming-pool safety because they cover limited new work, exclude outdoor pools, lack retrospective effect, and are difficult to enforce.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We take the view that building regulations would not be the best way to ensure that swimming pools are safe, as they apply only where building work takes place. The definition of a building for the purposes of the regulations does not currently cover an outdoor pool. Furthermore, as the regulations only cover new work, they could not be applied retrospectively to existing pools. Also, any requirement would be very difficult to enforce as it would not be possible to prevent fences from being removed after installation.”

Source location

2015-0154-Response-by-Department-for-Communities-and-Local-Government
Page 1 · response
Published 22 April 2015

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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026