REMINDER POOL AND SPA SAFETY ACT
5/30/2009 10:43:36 PM
If you have a public pool or spa in your community, make sure your pool is in compliance with the new pool and spa requirements. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act became effective on December 19, 2008; requires the installation of anti-entrapment drain covers and other systems as outlined in the Act. The term "public pool and spa" means a swimming pool or spa that is — (A) open to the public generally, whether for a fee or free of charge; (B) open exclusively to — (i) members of an organization and their guests; (ii) residents of a multi-unit apartment building, apartment complex, residential real estate development, or other multi-family residential area (other than a municipality, township, or other local government jurisdiction); or (iii) patrons of a hotel or other public accommodations facility; or (C) operated by the Federal Government (or by a concessionaire on behalf of the Federal Government) for the benefit of members of the Armed Forces and their dependents or employees of any department or agency and their dependents. Public pools and spas that operate year-round are expected to be in compliance by December 19,2008; however, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff took the position that seasonal public pools and spas that are currently closed must be in compliance with the law on the day that they reopen in 2009. 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: Visit cpsc.gov! "Our mission at the CPSC is to keep American families safe," said Nancy Nord, CPSC Acting Chairman. "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.
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