Category Archives: Pool and Spa Safety

Pool and Spa Safety

Getting Kids Involved in Pool Safety Can Be Fun

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Practice Pool Safety

Keeping kids safe around swimming pools means helping them understand what activities and behaviors are acceptable and fun, and which ones are unsafe and to be avoided.  A smart way to prepare for the upcoming swimming season is to take time now to work with kids on pool safety issues.

A fun approach to pool safety can be found with kid-friendly activities on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely website.  The CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign aims to increase pool safety awareness by providing information to families, industry professionals, and state and local officials.

With help from parents, even the youngest tots can start to learn how to stay safe around swimming pools at home and at public facilities.  Adults should never assume, though, that older kids know how to recognize pool dangers.  Making sure kids of all ages understand the dangers that exist around swimming pools will empower them to make the right choices.  And, thanks to the CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign, learning about pool safety can be fun.

Pool and Spa Safety

Don’t Skimp on Safety: Pool Alarms Alone Don’t Cut It

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Swimming Pool Alarms Help To Save Lives

Are you planning on constructing a new pool in the upcoming year?  If you live in Tennessee, you are legally required as of January 2011 to have a proper pool alarm installed before your pool can pass inspection.  Even if you don’t live in Tennessee, having a pool alarm is just simply a good idea.  There’s no doubt that children and pets benefit from an extra measure of safety around the backyard swimming pool.

Pool alarms alone will not prevent accidental drownings and submersion accidents, though.  Responsible homeowners approach pool safety from a number of angles.  Pool alarms, pool fences, safety covers, AND reliable adult supervision work together to maintain a safe and fun pool environment.

Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Closing and Winterizing

When Safety Covers Are Not Safe

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Pool Safety Cover Repair/Replacement for Solid and Mesh Safety Covers

Many homeowners prefer to use a safety cover rather than a winter cover when preparing the pool for the winter months.  Safety covers protect the pool, but they also help prevent submersion and drowning accidents should a child or pet wander out onto the cover.  A proper safety cover can support a minimum of 485 pounds per 5 square feet, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) standard F1346-91.  If that safety cover is torn or in any other way damaged, though, it is no longer a reliable barrier.

Purchasing a new safety cover to replace a damaged one is not always necessary.  Safety covers can be repaired for much less than a new cover would cost, so investigating this as a viable option is recommended.  Make sure that the company who will perform the repairs is well-recognized for quality workmanship.  And, use a company that will pay for the shipping of your safety cover in both directions — from you to the company, and then back to you again once the repairs have been made.

If damage to a pool safety cover is beyond repair, then purchasing a new one is necessary.  A safety cover cannot be trusted as a reliable safety barrier if it is damaged in any way.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Pool and Spa Safety

CPSC Seeks Comment on Addition to Pool Safety Law

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Safety Drain Covers

To prevent further injuries and deaths as a result of drain entrapment in pools and spas, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires that all public pools and spas be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers that comply with the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 standard.  Unfortunately, the term “public accommodations facility” used in the original law to describe who must comply was not adequately defined.  Which types of establishments fall into the category of “public accommodations facility” and which do not?

The answer to this question is the focus of a proposed interpretive rule that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) would like to add to the existing Pool and Spa Safety Act.  If the newly proposed definition for the term “public accommodations facility” is accepted, the CPSC will be able to more effectively enforce the law and ensure that more pools and spas are made safe for public use.

The CPSC will accept public comment on the proposed rule until December 21, 2010.  To read more about the proposed rule and how to submit a comment, visit the following page: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-26520.htm.

Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety

Pool Alarms Required By Law in 2011

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Pool Alarms

As of January 1, 2011, new residential swimming pools in Tennessee will be required to have a pool alarm. According to Senate Bill No. 3019, also known as “Katie Beth’s Law,” no swimming pool will pass electrical inspection if a proper pool alarm is not installed. And, as stated in the law, if a building permit is required for construction on a new pool as well as for any alterations made on an existing pool, that building permit will not be granted “unless the project calls for a functioning swimming pool alarm to be installed prior to the completion of the construction project.” Finally, the law requires pool suppliers to clearly post a sign that reads: “State Law Requires a Pool Alarm Be Installed.”

Katie Beth’s Law applies to any residential swimming pool which contains water that is more than 36 inches deep — this includes, but is not limited to, in ground pools, above ground pools, and non-portable spas and hot tubs.

Acceptable pool alarms do not include those that can be strapped to the wrist of a child. Rather, a proper pool alarm must be attached to the pool and must be able to detect when an object or person weighing 15 pounds or more enters the pool’s water. The sound of the alarm must be at least 50 decibels in strength to ensure that it can be heard from inside a home.

Even if you do not live in Tennessee where Katie Beth’s Law applies, installing a high quality pool alarm is an essential step in ensuring the safety of children and pets around the backyard swimming pool. Pool alarms are generally easy to install, and they can bring enormous peace of mind to homeowners.

Please note that pool alarms, or any other safety device, should not be expected to completely replace responsible adult supervision.

Click to read Katie Beth’s Law.