It's Important to be VGB Compliant in the States!

A fatal drowning in Thailand leaves a 14-year-old boy's family in ruins. The boy was at a water park with his family, when he was sucked into the swimming pool's pump system.

Nathan Clark Griffiths was playing in the pool with his brother Rhys, 15. The two had one pair of goggles. According to the article from the BBC News website, Rhys said Nathan went under the water, he could see his long black shorts and then next minute he was gone. He knew something was seriously wrong.

According to Nathan's mother, Marion Griffiths, "His [Nathan's] stepbrother Kevin translated but the lifeguard told him he was lying because he said the vent was locked and so impossible for Nathan to have got through it.

"It was only when they got Jimmy, my ex-husband, that the lifeguard took them seriously but by then Nathan had been under the water a long time."

Nathan was sucked into a pipe through the sump, which contained a large pipe, and was found in the pool's engine room 20 minutes later.

The vent Nathan's mother was referring is also called a grate or cover. This is the link to the video taken of the grate Nathan removed and the sump he was sucked into http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8147032.stm. The video doesn't actually show Nathan in the pipe, but how dangerous it is to not have a secured grate.

This is just another reason why the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act has been made a law, this of course in the United States. An aspect of the law is to provide VGB compliant hardware, screws, with the grates. It is important for pool operators to make sure all grates are securely fastened at all times to prevent anyone from being sucked into the drain.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that nearly 300 children drown and another 3,000 are seriously injured each year in accidents occurring in swimming pools and spas.

It's not just commercial size pools people have to worry about. Any in-ground pool will have a drain or more depending on the size of the pool. It's important that any pool you swim in has the new VGB compliant grates on the drains. Some grates have a bright swimming man logo to make it more visible that it has been tested as a compliant VGB cover.

If you think the facility you are swimming at doesn't have the compliant covers, contact the pool operator and tell him/her to call High-Tech Pools, Inc. We can handle any size grate. If you have a private pool that was constructed before December 18, 2008 and would like to have the new anti-entrapment grates, we can help with that too. We are just a phone call away!

Plan a Staycation

Turn on the TV. Turn on the radio. Search the internet. You name it, news about the tough economic times is everywhere. If it hasn't affected you yet, consider yourself lucky! Many families are looking for inexpensive ways to enjoy the summer. What better way to enjoy the summer than at the pool!

You don't have to travel farther than your backyard to get away. Why not sit around your private pool in a beautifully landscaped backyard? Picture spending those cooler, summer evenings in a luxurious whirlpool. Spending a little extra money on fixing up the backyard has its benefits!

According to Kathy Huber of the Houston Chronicle, some great flowering plants to enhance your backyard are Plumbago, Plumeria, Princess Flower, Yellow Bells, 'Black Magic' Elephant Ear, Sun-tolerant Coleuses and Graceful Ornamental Grasses.

Huber also says Palms, Plumerias, Clumping Bamboos, Nandinas, Bananas, Brugmansias and Oleanders are tall tropical accents. Group them for more privacy. Tough Nandina is ideal for screening pool machinery; it tolerates hot air.

So you are wondering who is going to have time to plant these flowers and greenery while you are working hard at work? High-Tech Pools, Inc., that's who! Not only can we design and construct a gorgeous pool and whirlpool, but we can take care of making your backyard look like something from a magazine. We can construct stone or concrete pool decks and coping, fire pit/fire place and exterior kitchens and even furniture. We are just a phone call away!

Have Eyes In The Back of Your Head!

Think back to when you were about seven years old and were caught doing something you shouldn't have been doing. Ever wondered what your mom meant when she said "I have eyes in the back of my head?"

When owning a pool/spa or frequenting a public pool, it's important to keep "the eyes in the back of your head" saying in the back of your mind. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children under five and adolescents between the ages of 15-24 have the highest drowning rates.

Just yesterday, in Barstow, California, a 5-year-old boy was pulled from a hotel pool. His family rented rooms at the hotel to use the air conditioning and pool to keep cool during the heat wave that's hitting the West. The family and officers performed CPR on little Kalob Kilgore until paramedics arrived and rushed Kilgore to the hospital, who later died.

This is an unfortunate, eye-opening account of what can happen in just a short amount of time. Of all preschoolers who drown, 70 percent are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning and 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less, this according to the Orange County, California, Fire Authority.

Please keep in mind if your private pool/spa doesn't have the necessary safety features, such as fencing, High-Tech Pools, Inc. can help make your backyard oasis safe. We can help with renovations and enhancements to pools/spas/fountains, auto cover enhancement, adjustment and repair, as well as fencing around the pool, gates and alarms. Keep kids safe this summer with the help of High-Tech Pools, Inc!

Poor Pool Pollution Prevention

According to a recent report in the Pool and Spa News magazine, people are not showing an interest in their public pool cleanliness. A recent study by the Water Quality & Health Council showed almost half of all participants admitted to engaging in one or more unhealthy pool behaviors. One in five said they have urinated while in a public pool, and about one-third said they abstain a pre-swim shower.

Not only is this repugnant, it's a health concern for those swimming in the contaminated water. According to the article, research suggests that urine, as well as other body fluids like sweat, can cause respiratory problems, skin rashes and other physical ailments when mixed with the chlorine in the pool water to form disinfection byproducts.

Next time you see a mom or dad with their child that's in diapers, think twice about how protective those diapers are from the water illness cryptosporidium. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium.

No matter if you have a public or private pool, these issues still come up. This survey was aimed at public pools. If you are visiting a public pool and think it may not be as clean as it should be, contact the pool manager immediately and tell him/her to call us! We can test and balance the water and add any chemicals to the pool to make sure it's clean. We are only a phone call away!

Get Compliant!

It's true, non-compliant drain covers can still be found in the bottom of swimming pools and spas around the country. Since the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was signed into law on December 18, 2008, there have been four drain entrapment incidents. The Today Show recently reported on the high number of pools and spas across the country that haven't become compliant.

This is a serious issue. Public pools and spas must have compliant VGB 2008, ASME A112.19.8 approved covers. The report stated residential pools are exempt from this law. False. Exempt was the wrong word choice. Residential pools must have the compliant drain covers if in construction or built after the deadline. It's illegal for any distributor to distribute a drain cover without the proper compliant markings; this can be the swimmers logo, VGB 2008, ASME A112.19.8, etc.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has set heavy penalties as well as fines for any pool/spa found to be non-compliant. Fines range in excess of $1.8 million. The new CPSC Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum, stated that public pools and spas not in compliance with Sec. 1404 of the Act should not be open.

If you have a public pool/spa or a private pool/spa and need to be or want to have the safe drains installed, High-Tech Pools can help! We have worked on large facilities as well as residential pools. We can answer any questions you may have regarding what your pool/spa needs to become compliant. Get the facts and get compliant. Don't let it be too late.

This is a link to the full Today Show report: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31759011#31759011