The Pool and Spa Safety Act, a law aimed at reducing the drowning and disembowelment risks associated with pool and spa drains, was enacted by Congress and signed by President Bush on December 19, 2007. The law will take effect this Friday, December 19.
Prompted by the drowning death of her daughter, former Secretary of State Jim Baker’s daughter-in-law undertook a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the hidden dangers of pool and spa drainage and lobbied for federal advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. Her efforts were a success, and new standards will now have to be followed by those who operate public pools and spas.
Dubbed the “Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act,” the new law will require all public pools and spas to install ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007-compliant drain covers and maintain a safety vacuum release system.
Traditional pool and spa drains produced suction power in excess of hundreds of pounds, trapping children under water and causing organ damage or loss. Between 1985 and 2004, an estimated 33 children, 14 and younger, died from pool and spa entrapments; another 100 were injured.
