The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission kicked off the 2011 summer swimming season yesterday at a press conference in San Diego, where it also launched the second year of its Pool Safely campaign. At the conference, CPSC officials revealed that 55 drowning and 63 near-drowning incidents in 29 states and territories have been reported during...

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and eight manufacturers of pool and spa drain covers issued a massive recall of the consumer products due to incorrect ratings. Consumers are advised to stop using the recalled drain covers, which include products made by AquaStar, Hayward, Pentair and Waterway Plastics. The potential hazard:...

An investigative report by NBC News that aired on The Today Show July 6 revealed that most public swimming pools and spas throughout the United States have not complied with The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. The report comes six months after the December 18, 2008, deadline in which all public pools were federally mandated to have anti-entrapment drain covers in place.

Three years after its introduction by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) Florida, countless testimonials, and much activism, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was approved by Congress. It was incorporated into the omnibus energy bill approved by Congress on December 19, 2007 and signed by President George W. Bush. Keep updated on...

Owners and operators of public swimming pools have a deadline of Dec. 19, 2008, to be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers and fittings conforming to ASME/ANSI standards. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released a list of companies that manufacture the swimming pool and spa drain covers in various sizes that have represented to the CPSC staff to meet the ASME/ANSI A11…

Owners and operators of public swimming pools had a deadline of Dec. 19, 2008, to be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers and fittings conforming to ASME/ANSI standards. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released a list of companies that manufacture safety vacuum release systems in various sizes that have represented...

This guide has been prepared by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals for public pool and spa owners, operators, builders and service professionals. Public pools and spas that are not in compliance with the VGB Act by December 19, 2008, may not open for use until compliant.

While consumers -- owners of private or backyard pools and spas -- don't have the same Dec. 19, 2008 deadline as public pool owners to equip their pools with anti-entrapment drain covers, they still have many questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions, answered by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.

The swim season of 2008 is the first year the new Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act is being enforced. This article from <i>The New York Times</i> looks at the law and how it will be enforced in communities throughout the U.S., and if the public and pool owners are aware of the safety measures required.

Is your local municipal pool fitted with an anti-entrapment drain cover? Have federal and state agencies, officials and inspectors enforced the law that mandates all public pools and spas must have in place approved drain covers by December 20, 2008? One year after Congress passed the Act and President George W. Bush signed into law the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, we examine wh…

While swimming pools provide hours of exercise and enjoyment, accidental drownings in pools and hot tubs iare the leading cause of death for children under age 5 and the second-leading cause of death for children 14 and under. Follow these layers of protection to make your backyard pool or spa a safe and fun place.

About 80% of the country's roughly 300,000 public pools and spas still need to retrofit their facilities to meet the new requirements, which took effect in December 2008, according to this January 20, 2009 article in the Wall Street Journal. Pool operators say that the new, safer drain covers required by the VGB Act continue to be in short supply.

As swimming pool season approaches, many pools in the Las Vegas area continue to remain unopened rather than comply with the VGB Pool and Spa Safety Act. This article from The Las Vegas Sun also shows a comparison of a new and old drain cover.

Industry publication "Pool and Spa News" reports that nine members of congress have protested against the CPSC’s interpretation of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.