Hi All I would appreciate some advice on control measures for the following. I am due to visit a school which has an outdoor swimming pool in their school grounds. It is easily accessible to pupils (from age 9 - 18 yrs) and trespassers would only need to climb over the school gates to gain access into the grounds. The swimming pool has not been in use for many years and has not been maintained, and showing signs of wear and tear (though structurally fine) the pool is full of rain water and more likely pond life! The control measures in place at present are: The students have been informed not to use or attempt to gain access into the area. A 3ft fence has been erected all the way round the area (access via a gate) I would advise they need to erect suitable and sufficient boundary fencing at a height which is not easily accessible. I would also continue to monitor the area on a regular basis (this is done at present and they have an excellent monitoring regime in place) My main question would be: Should they drain the pool or leave it in it's current state whilst they await planning permission etc to replace the pool with a building structure of some kind. (They are not keeping the pool) I can see reasons on both sides to empty or not to empty? What are your thoughts on this please.....

I agree maybe a fixed cover would be best, but again this may take some time to organise so in the first instance do we go with the barriers to stop access into the area. Do we drain the pool in the chance some-one gets over the barrier and decides to take a swim!! but ends up falling into a dry pool with serious injury. Or keep the pool full and if someone fell in they may swim or drown!! Which is the best option. I will suggest the rigid cover. To drain or not to drain that is the question (quoted by Hamlet!!)

I personally think draining the pool is the least of your problems. I fail to see how it will take time to instruct a scaffold crew to put in a structure capable of stopping trespassers falling in? This would take maximum 2 days. At present you have already omitted that it is foreseeable with the current control measures that trespassers and more importantly children can still gain access, which tells me the current control measures are inadequate. Whether they hurt themselves from falling or drowning is here nor there. Although I doubt you could argue that you left water in the swimming pool to minimize consequences :-) My advice: Risk assess and implement ASAP Good luck!

What you are describing exists all over the country as natural and not so natural bodies of water. Ensure that the pool is full of water so that anyone who happens to get in can get out and display a couple of deep water signs. The site is already fenced off to prevent inadvertent access I believe so a few signs and the jobs a good one IMHO.

Some Heras fencing would seem a reasonable, quick, proportionate and cost effective solution to me!

There have been several other claims agisnt LA - but all from accidents during "use". We should look at the view of the courts and take a sound risk based approach... consider the following cases where claims failed: Keown vs Coventry Healthcare (2006): 11 year old - Fall when climbing up an external fire escape Marsden vs Bourne Leisure (2009): Young child aged 2 wandered away from parents, "overcame" a low fence/barrier and drowned in a lake on a caravan site. NB this case went to Court of Appeal Phil