Swimming Pool Safety

I saw the article below on CNN about children and swimming pool filtration.

Does anyone know if the Broadlands pools have the "new" drain covers that are mentioned? Hopefully they will by opening time this summer.

Looking forward to another great pool season.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/entrapment.pools/index.html

 

I saw those pictures and I was amazed at the damage some types of drains can cause. Looking at the math all you need is a one psi pressure difference to cause serious damage.

8 oz of pressure could be enough to drown a kid. I am glad CNN brought this up to our attention. I was not aware of the dangers involved.

 

Unfortunately, this is not a new issue. There are regulations in place in Fairfax County that require 2 main drains to be built in all pools to help prevent this (not 100% certain what Loudoun requires). With two main drains, the suction is split between the two drains so that if one gets covered, the other one will pull harder. A vast majority of baby pools are built so that their main drain and skimmer run on the same pipe. This reduces the risk some, but certainly does not prevent entrapment. Most main pools have more than one main drain already built into them, but older pools are being retrofitted with two.

I know that as a lifeguard and a lifeguard instructor, I would tell my lifeguards to make sure people stayed away from drains and skimmers. I know the article focuses on main drains (in hot tubs), but this is something that happens with skimmers as well. Kids will remove a skimmer lid to get their toy out and stick their arm in and it will get sucked in. Once again, the reason why lifeguards tell (or should be telling) kids (and adults) not to remove the lids or to just randomly stick their hand in a skimmer.

This goes along with the basics of swimming pool safety. Parents need to watch their kids at all times (easier said than done I know) and to remember that even the most harmless looking thing at a pool can be dangerous.

 

There is a new federal law that is in place so this is mandated as of summer 2009. Broadlands has dual drains at all the pools including the wadding pools as well as the appropriate covers. These have been in place since each pool was built. So we are set for this summer.

Staci