Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act

Title XIV Pool and Spa Safety Act
Article - Pool and Spa Safety Act Enacted into Law
Pool Safety Prevails as ICC adopts ANSI-7

CPSC Documents:
**Latest information from CPSC,
   12/15/08 E-mail Message:
        CPSC has an obligation to carry out the will of the Congress and to enforce the Pool & Spa         Safety Act as written.  This message today seeks to clarify our enforcement priorities....  (click         to read entire message)
   12/15/08 press release: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09065.html
CPSC staff interpretation
New! CPSC Guide to Compliance
CPSC list of manufacturers with federally compliant drain covers and SVRS
How to mark compliant covers
Letter from CPSC’s General Counsel to the Florida Department of Health

FL DOH Documents:
Technical Protocol
Cover Replacement Acknowledgement Form
Fact Sheet
DOH list of approved drain covers

FAQ about the Act - by Aquatics International: http://www.aquaticsintl.com/poolsafety/08safety_faq.html

December 19 Deadline Fast Approaching: Compliance with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (VGB Act)
By Jennifer Hatfield, FSPA Director of Government & Public Affairs

The information provided in this article is offered for general informational and educational purposes only; it is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the implementation of the VGB Act requirements within the State of Florida and across the nation.  FSPA continues to work to address these questions and provide contractors and consumers with the answers they seek.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), charged with implementing and enforcing the VGB Act, and the Florida Department of Health (DOH), continue to provide information on what they will require and how to implement both federal and state rules respectively.  FSPA will continue to update this information on our website at www.floridapoolpro.com.

To summarize:

The federal VGB Act requires that by December 19, 2008 ALL public pools and spas must have installed a drain cover compliant with the 2007 ASME A112.19.8 standard.  The VGB Act also requires that by December 19, 2008 all public pools and spas with a direct suction single drain install an additional device (SVRS, vent line, gravity feed, automatic shut-off, or drain disablement).  Approved covers and other devices can be found on the CPSC website or via the FSPA website.

However, public pools and spas in Florida must also meet the DOH requirements found in 64E-9, F.A.C.  Specifically, these 2007 ASME A112.19.8 approved covers must also meet the Florida maximum flow rate of 1.5 fps.  Until recently there were very few covers available that met both the federal and state regulations, but there are now a few products out there, with more forthcoming.  For a list of drain covers that meet both the federal and state requirements go to either the FSPA website or the DOH website.

In Florida, most public pools/spas are gravity drainage; therefore, they meet the second requirement under the VGB Act.  However, there are approximately 7,000 remaining pools/spas that are single drain direct suction.  The DOH will be requiring all direct suction public pools/spas to be retro-fitted to gravity drainage within the next four years.  These pools/spas can either retro-fit to gravity drainage now to meet the VGB Act or use one of the other options found in the VGB Act.  Using one of the other options will serve as a temporary solution until the pool/spa must comply with the gravity drainage requirement per the revisions to 64E-9, F.A.C.  

If you are a contractor whose customers include public pool owners, help get the word out by notifying them of the federal and state requirements.  Continue to watch for compliant drain covers coming into the marketplace and make an order as soon as possible.  If your order becomes backlogged consider keeping this information on file and providing written documentation to the public pool owner that a compliant drain cover is forthcoming.  The CPSC recognizes that there may be difficulties in complying with the VGB Act prior to the December 19, 2008 deadline.  Making a good faith effort to comply is an important step in the right direction.  Continue to watch for further updates from the CPSC and FL DOH, all of which can be found at www.floridapoolpro.com, http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/water/swim/, or www.cpsc.gov

If you have additional questions on compliance with the VGB Act contact Jennifer Hatfield at:  Jennifer@floridapoolpro.com