Dimensions and Design of swimming pool fences and balcony - ANEC

climbing they can reach new places and see new
things, in a challenging way. However, the need
for new experiences and the accurate
perception of action limits are two separate
things. Children still have to learn by
experiencing what is possible and what is not,
and they inevitably will have accidents as a result
of unsuccessful attempts. Reduced strength and
strange body proportions do not favour
climbing. In the long term they will learn to judge
their capacities, they will become more careful
and cautious, and little accidents will tend to
disappear.
Pivoting may be observed in 3 month-old
children (less than 5%) and 50% of all children
can pivot before 6 months (Piper & Darrah,
1994). Four point kneeling may be observed at
5 months (10%) and at 7 months 50% of all
children can use this locomotion technique. Less
than 10% of all children can exhibit a reciprocal
creeping technique. These chronological
standards indicate that the motor competence
for locomotion in small distances may be
available before 6 month-old. This information
implies that protection for gaps must be
attended before the first half of the first year.
From the moment toddlers start to pull
themselves up they start practising their
climbing skills. Strong and light children are
normally better climbers since a basic need for
climbing is that the child has the strength to
carry his/her own weight. At the age of 6 most
children have the skills to climb as an adult. They
have similar proportions to an adult, and because
they are still small and lightly built they are often
better climbers than older people. Until the age
of 4 boys and girls do not show significant
differences in climbing skills. After this age the
boys are developing more strength than girls (van
Herrewegen, Molenbroek, & Goossens, 2004).
The ANEC R&T Project (van Herrewegen,
Molenbroek, & Goossens, 2004) has identified
some influential qualities for climbing: age,
height, weight, strength, character, leg length,
arm length, grip, grasp, step height, and
flexibility. Despite the fact that clothes and shoes
do not seem to significantly influence climbing
skills in children, they can be the cause of severe
accidents. The same report also states that the
climbing skill may be influenced by talent (1/3)
and by the environment they live in (2/3). It also
underlies the fact that good climbers can be
recognised when they are still young. They move
very easily and relaxed, they can look around
and concentrate on a lot of things at the same
time while climbing, they take alternating steps,
they do not necessarily stay close to the object,
they like to climb, and choose automatically the
best climbing technique for each object.
The properties of the object also influence its
climbability. Some influential characteristics are:
existence of footholds or handholds, height of
the first support point, distances and angles
between support points, shape of the support
points, roughness of the material, and slope of
the surface.
Dimensions and design of swimming pool fences and balcony and stairs barreirs to protect children from falling and from passing through, bellow or above
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