News

Many Garrison Pools will close if not in compliance with new Legislation
Date Posted: 12/17/2008

By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

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The one new legislative act that captured everyone’s interest at the aquatics conference: the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (VGB Act).

All aquatic facilities must comply with this act by Dec. 19, 2008 or risk severe penalties.

Signed last year by President Bush, the VGB Act requires states to adopt comprehensive pool safety laws that will protect children from life-threatening injuries and deaths from dangerous pool and spa drains.

The law is named for the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III. Baker joined Graeme's mother, Nancy Baker, and Safe Kids USA in a three-year advocacy campaign for the legislation. In 2002, at the age of 7, Graeme Baker died in a spa after the powerful suction of a drain entrapped her under water.

Under the law, all public pools and spas must have compliant drain covers installed and a second anti-entrapment system installed when there is only a single main drain.

Congress gave all affected pool and spa operators one year to comply with this act.

Public pools and spas that operate year-round are expected to be in compliance by December 19, 2008.

Seasonal public pools and spas, currently closed, must be in compliance with the law on the day they reopen in 2009.

“Our mission is to keep American families safe,” said Nancy Nord, Acting Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“CPSC will enforce the requirements of this pool and spa safety law with a focus on where the greatest risk of drain entrapment to children exists, such as wading pools, pools designed specifically for toddlers and young children, and in-ground spas, particularly where these types of pools and spas have flat drain grates and single main drain systems.”

Nord added, “State health and enforcement agencies share the responsibility to ensure this law is properly enforced. I recommend these agencies take the same approach as CPSC concerning enforcement priorities.”

Pool and spa operators are encouraged to continue working as diligently as possible to come into compliance, as the agency and state Attorneys General are empowered to close down any pool or spa that fails to meet the Act’s requirements.

Officials with the National Recreation and Park Association and the National Swimming Pool Foundation are asking Congress and the CPSC to enact delayed or phased-in implementation.

Because there are a limited number of pool cover manufacturers who have had trouble keeping up with orders, and the engineers able to approve the installation of the covers are few and far between, many pool managers across the U.S. might not be able to open their pools this Saturday morning.

For more information about the Pool and Spa Safety Act, how to comply, and which companies have been certified to manufacturer drain covers and safety vacuum release systems, please log on to: www.cpsc.gov/whatsnew.html#pool

Link for more info: http://www.cpsc.gov/whatsnew.html#pool