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An Alberta group is pushing for municipalities to adopt four-sided pool fencing bylaws in an effort to prevent accidental drownings.

A resolution passed by the Alberta Public Health Association (APHA) has called upon municipalities to enact and support four-sided pool fencing bylaws in their respective jurisdictions, in an effort to improve public safety.

In a release to members of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), the APHA cited the need for laws requiring barrier fencing, complete with self-closing, self-latching gates, measuring at least 1.2 m (4 ft) high. The group says adding the barriers is the only proven passive prevention strategy to reduce backyard pool drownings.

The APHA says drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death among Canadian children and third-leading deadly injury suffered by Alberta youngsters; nearly half of these accidents occur in swimming pools.

The association asked Alberta municipalities to follow the lead of countries such as Australia, France and New Zealand, which have all enacted strict fencing legislation. In many Canadian municipalities, the only required pool barrier is three-sided perimeter fencing, with the house itself acting as the 'fourth wall.'