> Making a well safe where there are children: what French law says (art. 1240 of the Civil Code), the bar spacing to respect, and why a lightweight lid is not enough.

*Source : https://grille-de-puits.fr/en/child-safety/*

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# A well and children: _the only question that matters_

A coping 60 cm high does not stop a four-year-old — it invites them. Here is what the law says, what insurers ask for, and what actually protects.

## What the law says

There is no “well regulation” in France the way there is a swimming pool act: the legislature has never specifically regulated private wells. But the silence of the standard does not protect the owner — quite the opposite. Article 1240 of the French Civil Code (formerly 1382, liability for things in one’s keeping) places the consequences of a fall on the keeper of the structure, and the case law is consistent: an unprotected well accessible to third parties, and to children in particular, engages civil liability — and criminal liability where negligence is established. Holiday lets, gîtes, gardens adjoining a school: insurers know this, and they require the well to be closed.

If you own a French property but live elsewhere, this applies to you exactly as it applies to a resident owner. Liability follows the property, not the postcode of the person who holds the keys — and a well in a garden let out over the summer is precisely the configuration insurers look at first.

## What actually protects

Three criteria separate real protection from false reassurance. **Bar spacing:** 9 cm maximum between bars — beyond that a small child gets their head through. That is the figure in the guardrail standard, and the figure we build to throughout. **Resistance to being opened:** a lid that is simply laid on lifts off, and a swivelling latch can be worked; you need a cover anchored at four points and, if access must remain possible, a [padlocked hasp on a proper hatch](https://grille-de-puits.fr/en/models/lockable-well-cover/). **Mass:** our covers weigh 25 to 60 kg — nothing a child, even several of them, can shift.

The lightweight shop-bought lid fails all three: it lifts, it slides, and it degrades in full sun. It reassures the adult who put it there; it does not resist the child who wants to see the water.

**The complete reflex:** an anchored cover, the padlock closed by default, and the rule explained to the children. The cover stops the accident; the rule removes the temptation. Together they are what lets you stop thinking about it.

Frequently asked

## Safety: your questions

Is there an official standard for well covers?

No — unlike swimming pools (the French act of 2003), no standard regulates the protection of private wells. General civil liability applies instead: article 1240 of the French Civil Code puts the consequences of a fall on the keeper of the structure.

What bar spacing is safe for children?

We make to a maximum spacing of 9 cm — the figure used by the French guardrail standard NF P01-012 to prevent a small child passing through. It is documented in the manufacturing certificate supplied with the cover.

Can an insurer require a well to be made safe?

Yes: for holiday lets and gîtes, most insurers ask for a permanently closed shaft and a locked access. The manufacturing certificate (bar spacing, anchoring, closure) goes straight into your file.

## Make it safe now, _quote within 48 hours_

A photo of the well, and the ages of the children if you would like our recommendation: an answer within 48 hours.

[Request my quote](https://grille-de-puits.fr/en/quote/)

[Free well cover quote — 48 h](https://grille-de-puits.fr/en/quote/)