Tag Archive for: magnalatch

Safe Gates Help Save Lives

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA:  Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children aged 1 – 4 years and the majority of the children that drown in swimming pools most commonly gain access to the pool area when there is no fence or through a faulty fence or gate.  

Combined with constant child supervision and other layers of protection, a possible solution to this issue is physically checking your pool gate and maintaining your pool gate regularly to ensure it self-closes and self-latches at all times. You should not be able to open a gate at all without activating the release mechanism which should be out of the reach of toddlers. 

D&D Technologies®, the inventor and manufacturer of the MagnaLatch® Pool Safety Gate Latch and the world leader in high-performance gate hardware, has partnered with the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) to establish a Check Your Pool Gate Month campaign kicking-off Memorial Day Weekend and continuing through the month of June.  The initiative was created to remind pool owners of the vital need to ensure pool fences, gates, latches and hinges are secure and in top working order.  Every pool owner should be confident they have a safe swimming zone.  

“Our aim with Check Your Pool Gate Month is to educate pool owners about pool safety and to encourage them to check their pool surroundings not once a year, but regularly,” says Jim Paterson, D&D’s VP of Sales and Marketing.

A few minutes is all it takes for pool owners to check that their pool fences and gates, including latches and hinges, are in good working order.  If you can’t fix it call your local contractor to service your gate and ensure the gate is secured while waiting. This simple routine done regularly could help save the life of a child.  

Safety checklist for pool gates

  • Should open outwards, away from the pool
  • Height of latch release mechanism is least 54” from the bottom of the gate (check local codes)
  • Must be self-closing and self-latching
  • Hinges should be rust-free and bind-free
  • Hinges should be reliable and tension-adjustable for closing speed
  • Latch must be adjustable horizontally and vertically to accommodate gate movement
  • Gate will latch when latch is in the locked or unlocked position
  • Latch cannot be disengaged using implements (e.g. garden or pool tools)
  • Latch cannot be shaken or jolted open
  • Gate will shut and latch securely from any open angle or force
  • Complies with all applicable standards, codes and legislation for pool safety

For more information on pool safety and compliance visit:  www.us.ddtech.com/pages/pool-safety-compliance and www.ndpa.org

It’s critical to check your local pool codes for compliance, as local codes may vary. 

D&D Technologies gate hardware can be purchased on Amazon or at Home Depot or Lowes.

About D&D Technologies 

D&D Technologies is the recognized leader in safety and high-performance gate hardware, providing the broadest range of gate hardware for every application.  D&D Technologies produces over 300 gate hardware products and has 30 years of experience in the gate hardware industry.  Products include MagnaLatch® magnetic pool and safety gate latches, TruClose® adjustable, self-closing safety gate hinges, LokkLatch® gate latches, SureClose® and Shut It industrial hinges.  D&D’s diversity of products continually set new standards in design, performance, craftsmanship and innovation–tied together by a top level of quality and service.  D&D products are rust free and consistently exceed all relevant safety barrier codes around the world for the residential, commercial and industrial markets.

Magnalatch and pool gate

D&D Technologies is the founder and one of the sustaining sponsors of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.

It was thanks to their vision and effort that the NDPA was created in 2004 as a product of their commitment to preventing toddler drowning worldwide while working closely with, and contributing to, water safety organizations globally. Since then, they have been a great ally and supporter of drowning prevention and water safety education efforts across the globe.

D&D Technologies started out in Sydney, Australia, evolving from a small, family-owned fencing company to become a worldwide leader in gate hardware. Owners of the then D&D Aluminium Fencing company had been frustrated by the lack of reliable, durable latches and hinges to complement their custom-made aluminium-and-glass pool fencing systems.

In 1988, one of the company’s founders, David Doyle, saw a science program featuring “rare earth” magnets – highly efficient magnets that never lose their magnetic force. Devising a latching mechanism around this idea, and using rust-free engineering polymers and stainless steel components, the MagnaLatch was born.

MagnaLatch® Magnetic Child Safety Gate Latch

D&D gained international recognition with its ground-breaking MagnaLatch® magnetic child safety gate latch for swimming pool and other child safety gates, winning several prestigious design awards for its revolutionary design. They invented magnetic gate latches (MagnaLatch®) and rust-free polymer gate hinges (TruClose®) to keep your children safe by blocking their unsupervised access to the water. Their strength, reliability and ease of adjustment make them the perfect choice for gates where child safety is important.

D&D Technologies is committed to help educate the public about the importance of having pool gates and fences as a needed layer of protection against drowning accidents. Well aware that drowning is the number 1 cause of accidental deaths for children ages 1 – 4, they continuously share information in the interest of consumer and public safety to help reduce this statistic.

Go over this checklist courtesy of D&D and make sure your pool gates are contributing to keep your child safe and they comply with U.S. safety standards such as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act

D&D Technologies is a Platinum Sponsor for the 2020 National Water Safety Conference to be held in Fort Worth, TX from April 5 -9, 2020. Register for the conference here: bit.ly/NDPA2020.

You can also become an NDPA sponsor and contribute to our efforts to prevent drowning! Click here for more information.