Los Angeles County Failing to Comply With Federal Pool Safety Law, Today Show Reports

Los Angeles County Failing to Comply With Federal Pool Safety Law, Today Show
Reports

Ninety Percent of Public Pools Not Safe, Report Finds

WASHINGTON, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than six months after Pool
Safety Council called out Los Angeles County officials for putting area
swimmers at risk, NBC's Today Show reported today that less than 10 percent of
public swimming pools in Los Angeles County are compliant with a mandatory
federal pool safety law.

The findings were part of a broader story about the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool
and Spa Safety Act, a federal law that requires public pools install new drain
covers and anti-entrapment devices to prevent drain entrapment. The Today Show
found many regions of the country had poor compliance rates, but Los Angeles
County had far fewer compliant pools than any other investigated region in the
country.

The Today Show also interviewed Inez Tenenbaum, chair of the Consumer Product
Safety Commission, the agency tasked with enforcing the Pool and Spa Safety
Act. "Compliance is mandatory," Tenenbaum said. "There is no grace period.
[All public pools] have to comply with this law now." Tenenbaum stressed that
pools that fail to comply with the law should close down. "I am prepared to
tell the Attorneys General that, and the state agencies," Tenenbaum said.

Pool Safety Council (PSC), America's authority on drain entrapment prevention
and a strong proponent of the Pool and Spa Safety Act, had identified Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health for failing to meet the federal
requirements of the law.

"The Today Show piece on the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was
the latest proof that Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials
are not taking compliance with the life-saving Pool and Spa Safety Act
seriously," PSC spokesman John Procter said. "We hope this embarrassing report
finally prompts them to get their county in order and enforce the Pool and Spa
Safety Act as it is written."

The Pool and Spa Safety Act went into effect late last year and requires
public pools install layers of protection to prevent drain entrapment, which
occurs when a swimmer becomes trapped by the powerful suction force of a
drain. All public pools must install approved safety drain covers, while
single drain public pools must also install an anti-entrapment device, such as
a Safety Vacuum Release System.

PSC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child drowning
nationwide. Please visit our website at www.poolsafetycouncil.org for
additional information, and the Today Show segment can be viewed here:
http://www.poolsafetycouncil.org/news_todayshow.html.

CONTACT: John Procter
Phone: (800) 970-8420
www.poolsafetycouncil.org

SOURCE Pool Safety Council

John Procter, +1-800-970-8420, for Pool Safety Council