Ladders for above-ground and portable pools now have, for the first time, specific performance requirements and test methods meant to stop young children from climbing them. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and ASTM International announced the strengthened voluntary safety standard for above-ground portable pools on November 5, 2026. The CPSC said the requirements were built from incident data and from research on young children's body dimensions and climbing ability, and that it also worked on stronger warnings for the products.

The announcement did not give the standard's number, its specific measurements or an effective date. A voluntary standard is developed through ASTM's committee process rather than issued as a federal rule, and the CPSC asked manufacturers, importers and retailers of portable pools to make sure their products conform to the revised version.

Why the ladder

In June 2026 the Commission granted a petition that cited 128 fatal drowning incidents from 2020 to 2025 involving children under 5 in which a ladder was reported or believed to have been used to get into an above-ground or portable pool. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, according to the CPSC.

What the latest drowning report counts

The CPSC's annual pool and spa submersion report, released June 24, 2026, found that an average of 376 children under 15 died each year from 2021 through 2023 in pool- or spa-related drownings. Nearly 80 percent of them were younger than 5. The 2023 total was 379, up 6 percent from 359 in 2022. More than 70 percent of the deaths from 2021 to 2023 happened at a residence: the child's own home, a relative's or friend's home, or a neighbor's. The report also estimated an average of 5,900 nonfatal drowning injuries a year treated in hospital emergency departments from 2023 through 2025. Fatal drownings are consistently highest in June, July and August, the agency said.

The 2025 recall is still open

The new standard follows a July 21, 2025 recall of about 5 million above-ground pools 48 inches and taller, sold by Bestway, Intex and Polygroup from 2002 to 2025 at retailers including Walmart, Target, Costco and The Home Depot and online, for roughly $400 to more than $1,000. On those pools a compression strap that wraps the outside of the pool over the vertical support legs can act as a foothold, letting a child climb in even after the ladder has been removed. The CPSC reported nine deaths of children from 22 months to 3 years old in incidents from 2007 to 2022.

The remedy is a free repair kit: a rope attached to each vertical support pole at ground level and wrapped around the pool, installed first, after which the owner cuts and removes the compression strap. Until the repair is done, the recall notice says to keep children from being near the pool unattended, or to drain it. The brand and model number are printed on the outside of the pool liner. Bestway is at 888-875-5620 or bestwayusa.com/product-safety-and-recall, Intex at 800-549-8829 or intexcorp.com/recall, and Polygroup at 888-621-4137 or polygrouprecall.com.

The layers the CPSC lists

The CPSC's layers of protection apply whether a pool is open or sitting covered for the season. Its list includes keeping removable above-ground pool ladders secured or out of reach when the pool is not in use; barriers, door alarms, pool covers and self-closing, self-latching gates and doors; an adult water watcher who is not distracted whenever children are near water, including bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds and fountains; CPR training for the adults in the house; swimming lessons; keeping children away from drains, pipes and other openings; and drain covers that meet federal safety standards.

Child-resistant ladders are one layer, the CPSC said, not a substitute for supervision, barriers, secured access, swimming skills and CPR. Owners can check whether a pool or its equipment has been recalled at cpsc.gov, report a dangerous product or an injury at SaferProducts.gov, and reach the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270). More drowning prevention guidance is at PoolSafely.gov.

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