Swimming Pool Injuries
Pool Accidents
Swimming Pool Accidents are among the most catastrophic and deadly accidents that can take place. There are several types of swimming pool accidents that can result in serious injury or death. These include:
- Diving accidents where a person who dives into a pool is unable to judge the accurate depth of the water, strikes the bottom, and is either severely injured or dies. This may be due to poor or nonexistent lighting, low water level, excessive alcohol use, or other factors.
- Pools lacking proper fencing or unlocked gates.
- Toxic or dangerous bacteria or amoebas which are not properly controlled by the use of chemicals.
- Improperly placed diving boards, diving boards that are too high for the depth of the water, or diving boards that are not code compliant.
- Missing or broken drain covers causing entrapment.
- Slip, trip, and fall accidents around the pool due to slippery pool decks.
- Failure to warn or establish proper pool rules.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), an average of ten people die every day in the United States as a result of pool drownings. Many of these pool accidents are the result of negligence on the part of the pool owner and can be prevented.
Anti-Entrapment Drains are Required
Drowning is the second leading killer of children under the age of 14 in America. The primary cause is the suction of pool and spa drains for circulating and filtering water. The suction is sufficiently powerful enough to trap a child underwater until he or she drowns.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is a federal law that requires the installation of anti-entrapment drain systems in public pools. This includes pools open to members of an organization and their guests, including homeowner associations.
To comply with federal law, require that swimming pools constructed before January 1, 2010, be properly retrofitted with anti-entrapment devices by no later than July 1, 2010. No further retrofitting is required for swimming pools that completed such a retrofit between December 19, 2007, and January 1, 2010, if the retrofit complied with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety and if the association files a proper statement of compliance with the California 's Department of Public Health before September 30, 2010. This is something that the installer would normally do.
HOA Board Negligence
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