Pool Barrier of Virginia, LLC

Three years of pool safety advocacy pays off for Safe Kids, Baker family in new, life-saving law.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In a move that child safety advocates say will save the lives of thousands of children, President Bush today signed The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007. The legislation provides incentives for states to adopt comprehensive pool safety laws that will protect children from life-threatening injuries and horrible deaths from dangerous pool & spa drains.

The law, which was included as part of a comprehensive energy bill (H.R. 6), passed the House on Dec. 18 by a vote of 314-100. The Senate approved the bill on Dec. 13.

Read the whole story here.

Here is a link to publication no. 362, published by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It has been adopted as a reference by a large number of communities throughout the country and has been adopted as policy by many.

Contained in its pages are specific guidelines to help consumers identify the best safety fence solutions.
Safety Barrier Guidelines

S. 1771 was squeezed into a comprehensive energy bill (H.R. 6) and approved in an 86 to 8 vote on Dec 13.

“Each year, thousands of individuals drown and thousands more require hospital treatment due to submersion injuries,” said Senator Stevens. “This legislation is designed to lessen the likelihood that anyone, particularly a child, will drown by becoming trapped by a pool or spa drain.”

The legislation will create a grant program to encourage states to pass comprehensive pool and spa safety legislation. The program will be funded at $2 million per year for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) would administer the grants, and set minimum qualification standards. This measure would also authorize $5 million per year from 2008 through 2012 for the CPSC to engage in a nationwide education campaign on methods to prevent drowning and entrapment in pools and spas.

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

Great News! Minimum “federal” standards for pool and spa safety are critically important to help reduce related infant and child deaths.

H. R. 1721 (Placed-on-Calendar-Senate)
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act
Title: To increase the safety of swimming pools and spas by requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers and pool and spa drainage systems, by establishing a swimming pool safety grant program administered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to encourage States to improve their pool and spa safety laws and to educate the public about pool and spa safety, and for other purposes.

Senate bill S. 1771 contains some differences that will require resolution, primarily as they relate to the requirements that are imposed if the wall of a dwelling is part of the protective barrier around the pool.

The APSP will actively seek resolution of the issue as the bills are reconciled.

A speech delivered by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz on the importance of effective swimming pool safety.

Speeches - United States Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz - HONORING THE LIFE OF DANIEL WULTZ

The Center for Health Improvement is a California based non-profit organization dedicated to advancement of heath policies and they provide technical assistance services that improve population health and encourage healthy living. They’ve provided a very nice health policy guide, containing a very relevant section that addresses swimming pool safety and the importance of pool barrier installations to reduce child drownings.

Here’s an important point addressed in their guide - perimeter fences around a backyard that hold a swimming pool will only limit access to neighborhood kids. But what about the children that live in your own home or visit your home? A pool barrier specifically installed to isolate the swimming pool will help ensure the safety of the children in your home.

Read more about swimming pool safety here:
Health Policy Guide

The Center for Disease Control maintains a great swimming pool safety site. You can most likely get your pool safety questions answered here - in addition to a lot of others related to your child’s and family’s safety.

Swimming is a fun, active, and healthy way to spend leisure time. However, in the past
two decades we have seen an increase in the number of Recreational Water Illness (RWI)outbreaks associated with swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, and oceans. CDC’s Healthy Swimming program offers information and resources to raise awareness about RWIs and how to prevent them by practicing “Healthy Swimming” behaviors.