Swimming Pool Safety Law Update: Child Advocates Concerned About Compliance
South Florida public swimming pools are supposed to be safer for kids, thanks to a new act that went into effect Dec. 19, 2008, requiring drain covers for pool filtration systems. As we've discussed before, Florida swimming pool accidents are a leading cause of childhood injury and the number-one cause of infant drowning deaths in Florida.
But some child safety advocates are concerned that the new federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is not being enforced, as some states have not begun inspecting pools or have allowed pools with uncovered drains to remain open.
The law was named after former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker's granddaughter Virginia, age 7, who died as the result of a horrific hot tub accident. In 2002, at a school graduation party, Virginia was sucked into a hot tub drain and trapped on the bottom of the pool. The fierce suction in swimming pool drains can essentially eviscerate a child if the suction pulls the child in by the abdomen. Virginia's mother and two other adults eventually freed the little girl, but by the time she got to the hospital, it was too late.
The controversy now is how individual states, including Florida, will go about enforcing the new federal swimming pool safety law. Child safety advocates are calling for immediate inspections of all public swimming pools and demanding that states close down non-compliant facilities, before more children like Virginia suffer a needless and wrongful death.
As South Florida swimming pool accident lawyers, we are well aware of the many dangers swimming pools present to young children. We will be following this story to see how well the new federal Virginia Graeme Baker law is being enforced in public swimming pools in South Florida and around the state.
Some ignore law to prevent pools from being child deathtraps CNN.com Jan. 15, 2009
Related Web Resources
Safe Kids USA: Water Safety Campaign
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Pool and Spa Safety Publications
