Pool Safety and Drain Covers
It may seem like one of those things that "would never happen" to you or your kids...but there is real safety issue in public pools that are not compliant with a law that was enacted at the end of 2008.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is named after the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker, who died in a pool drain entrapment accident in 2002. The law stipulates that all public pools and spas must be outfitted with approved safety drain covers.
The problem is that older public pools have all sorts of drain covers, and corrective covers were not readily available when the law went into effect. Also, for some pools, the expense required to retrofit the covers can be substantial. Industry reports indicate that enforcement agencies have been slow to force compliance among pool operators...but the risks of non-compliance are very real.
In Pennsylvania in the summer of 2009, a 38-year old man was killed when he was trapped by a non-compliant pool drain. The fact that an adult man was trapped by one of these drains demonstrates just how significant the risk is when pools have not been retrofitted.
In fact, Aquatics International reported in late 2009 that:
"Many, many pool owners are doing nothing," [Mike] Stinson said [owner of Mike the Poolman in Folsom, Calif]. "They're calling the bluff of the inspectors because they've heard there aren't enough [personnel] to go around."
Please do yourself and your kids a favor by making sure that any public pool you utilize is in compliance with the law!
For more information, please visit PoolSafety.com and the Pool Safety Council.
Photo credit: DieselDemon