©Bigstockphoto.com

The Pool Safety Council (PSC) says the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC's) interpretation of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) could have a detrimental affect on swimming pool safety.

A recent ruling by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding interpretation of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) is being called a major blow to pool and spa safety.

The Pool Safety Council (PSC), a national U.S. swimming safety and drowning prevention advocacy group, says the CPSC's interpretation promotes unblockable drain covers as the only layer of protection needed to prevent entrapment. The group says this undermines federal safety rules and contradicts the intent of the VGBA, which makes it abundantly clear all public pools and spas must have layers of protection for swimmers.

"Industry advocates, more interested in financial gain than swimmer safety, got exactly what they wanted," says John Procter, a spokesman for the PSC. "Layers of protection are absolutely necessary in order to protect swimmers from entrapment, even when using 'unblockable' drain covers. The VGBA was passed for that very reason. For CPSC to say otherwise puts swimmers in grave danger of entrapment and is a stain on the agency's reputation."

Procter says the PSC will continue to push the true intent of the federal law and recommend all pools and spas, public and private, install anti-entrapment devices, regardless of whether they have unblockable drain covers.

For additional information, including guidance on the VGBA requirements, visit www.poolsafetycouncil.org.