Every year, more than 250 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools and more than 2,700 children seek medical treatment for pool-related accidents—mostly in backyard pools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

More than 75% of swimming pool accident victims were missing for five minutes or less when they were found drowned or in serious trouble. One or both parents were supervising victims when the swimming   pool accident occurred.

Building safety codes are lifesavers, Virginia’s Unified Safety Building Code (USBC) has specific provisions to make pools and spas safe. For example:

·         Install a fence at least four feet high around the pool area. (Spas & hot tubs also should have a similar fence.)

·         Install a self-latching gate or door in the fence to make pool areas inaccessible to children & unauthorized swimmers.

·         Install a door alarm. When the door or gate is opened, the alarm sounds and acts as an early warning device.

·         Install a pool alarm to detect accidental or unauthorized entrance into the water. While the alarm provides an immediate warning, it does not substitute for the fences, door alarms and safety covers required by the code.

·         Install either an automatic or manual approved safety cover to completely block access to water in the pool or spa.

·         All pool and hot tub drains must have a cover or grate that meets industry standards for suction fittings marked with “VGB 2008” indicating compliance with ANSI/ASME A112.19.8 2007. Without the cover, some part of a person’s body may be trapped, causing injury or drowning.

For more information about building safety codes and local requirements, contact your local building department Culpeper County Building Dept.—302 N. Main Street, Culpeper, VA 22701—(540) 727-3405.