Comments on: Pool, Spa Safety Act Leaves Swimmers High, Dry (Updated)

By: tarno_inz

tarno_inz — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:31:15 +0000

At the national level this law would not be so bad. Spend a few bucks and save a few lives — ok, very few but still useful.
Now the problem: my mother owns a small motel with an in-ground pool in Wisconsin.
About a week ago I talked to a sales guy who sells chemicals and equipment for pools. He educated me about the law and how a few of the states are requiring us to comply with the federal law.
As it turns out, the state of Wisconsin requires a complete engineering study to “modify” the pool. The going intelligence is that the requirement is always two drains — that is, a single drain with a federally approved drain cover is insufficient in Wisconsin. So in Wisconsin, complying with the law will cost her somewhere between 20k to 40k USD.
How much does an approved (elsewhere) drain cover cost ? Probably on the order of 100 to 1000 USD. Some cost-benefit analysis !!
She can survive the 1000, but not the 20k or 40k. Looks to me like somebody wants to make some money for their contractor friends.
Some cost-benefit analysis !!
So, as number one son, I am trying to help find a way out of this mess. If not, the pool will not reopen in the spring.
If anyone has any ideas, please send them to me at tarno_inz:at:yahoo:dot:com.

By: ssynan

ssynan — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:54:03 +0000

This law is a travesty. If many pools are closed by this law it is likely to increase the drowning rate.

I have been trying to find a web site that has a comprehensive list of the pools closed/disrupted by this law. Does anyone know of one?

Hugo Diaz, I have attempted to contact Graeme’s mother and let her/SafeKids.org know what I feel to be the problems of this law. Thus far I have received no response.

The only national coverage that I have seen on the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act law has been on Today and CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/entrapment.pools/index.html). I know enough about this subject to know that that in both cases the information was fed practically directly from SafeKids.org/Nancy Baker. I would appreciate seeing non-biased in-depth coverage of this issue.

By: Sisyphus

Sisyphus — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:33:44 +0000

Thanks, NSH.
I said residential pool, but meant hot tube.
Just noticed a CNN article with “Deathtraps” in the headline.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/entrapment.pools/index.html

By the way, your car is a deathtrap. Over 40,000 people die EACH YEAR from automobile accidents. But hey, this isn’t about saving lives. Only about making a statement.

By: NSH013

NSH013 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:20:17 +0000

First off while this is tragic, the facts are slightly off. Graeme Baker died in a hot tub during a party. Why a 7 year old was from what I have read, left unattended in a hot tub is beyond me. The first rule of children and pools, hot tubs etc is to monitor them closely. Second, thinking that all this can be solved just by requiring that pools and spas all simply replace their drain covers is ridiculous. If I remember correctly, children under a certain age aren’t permitted in hot tubs, at least not public ones. What you do in the privacy of your own home is your business. There is a warning on the side of every tub saying not to immerse your head. I do sypathize with the family but this should have been a more common sense approach. The drain changes may help but with a little awareness, it would not have needed to be made into a national issue. Compare the number of children injured or drowned due to the drains with the number of children drowned due to someone not paying attention and you’ll see where the focus should be.

By: hotoffthepress2

hotoffthepress2 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:02:13 +0000

Thanks, Pool Guy.

By: Pool Guy

Pool Guy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:59:43 +0000

Thanks Sisyphus
I have been talking about VGB for over a year, and it will be one of the major factors in destroying people ability to learn how to swim.

Children will swim this summer. The city pool will most likely be closed – but kids will fence hop unsupervised home pools, and hit the lakes and rivers. Then what?