Pool Drain Disembowels 6 Year Old Girl

[SpaNE]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19619471/

Sad story and apparantly has happended before.  Parents beware.

[Pathfinder]

Its quite terrible, I read it a couple days ago. Here in Canada most provinces have a law that states all commercial pools and spas be equipped with an approved Vacuum break system. In Ontario it became law summer of 05.  It would be nice if the all the states past a similar law then this sort of accident wouldnt have to happen.

[Zep]

VERY SAD!

[size=16]Pool drain rips out part of girl’s intestinal tract[/size]
6-year-old, who was sitting on top of hole, is in intensive care




July 5, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS - A 6-year-old girl who sat on an open drain in a wading pool lost part of her intestinal
tract to the drain’s powerful suction, her family said.

Abigail Taylor was injured in the wading pool on June 29, according to her family.

Her father, Scott Taylor, said the suction caused a 2-inch tear in Abigail’s rectum and pulled out
much of her small intestine. Doctors had to remove the part of her intestines that remained,
according to the family’s lawyer, Bob Bennett.

Abigail remained in intensive care at Children’s Hospital on Thursday and appeared to be improving,
Bennett said.

She was to undergo surgery on Friday, Bennett said. “She’ll receive her nutrition through a
port for the rest of her life,” he said.

Bennett said the swimming pool’s drain hole was improperly uncovered. However,
the general manager of the club where the pool is located said he didn’t
think anything was wrong with the pool. He referred questions to the attorney for
the club’s insurance company, who declined to comment.

Several states have passed pool-safety laws after children drowned or were disemboweled by
drain suction. North Carolina, for instance, requires pools to have dual drains to diffuse the force
of the suction and prevent children from being trapped.

[drewstar]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19619471/

Sad story and apparantly has happended before.  Parents beware.

Yes, it's happened before.  There are still companies out there that promote "Large Center Drains!" Easy to drain! Filter through these for great water!"  

What is really sad is that there is a $30 grate that can be put on these drains that make it impossible for a child to be stuck to it, but they are not required by law.  These grates have openings on multiple planes to avoid creating a tight seal against a fiairly flat surface (a torso).  I don't know how they would fair with hair though.

[Pathfinder]

I guess the federal government is in the process of fixing this problem

http://www.vac-alert.com/EntrapmentArticle.aspx?id=2

[salesdvl]

There is the International Builder Code ( IBC) as well as the International Residential Code ( IRC).  Both cover very specific guidelines for main drains and how to make them safe.  Unfortunately, many states/areas do not follow/ enforce the codes.  Some states like CA, MI and a few others have adopted some of the language from the IBC but there are still many many builders and even inspectors that are not aware of what the codes are.  I spoke to one builder and he was not aware that dual main drains were now code in his own state.  

Another problem is that some bulders will put in 1 drain and 1 skimmer but then put a diverter valve in.  This allows the flow to be directed from all skimmer to all drain or 50/50.  In the all drain position, without a safety device, tragedy can happen.

CA passed their Title 20 into law which governs codes involving pump size and horsepower and efficiency.  They are now working on Title 24, which will dictate things like plumbing size, elbows etc...   Ultimately they are trying to save energy, but it will also make pools safer.  It will force Joe Pool Builder to use larger plumbing and smaller HP pumps which will not have as great a suction when combined with multiple intakes.

It also says that there will be an independant inspector ( not in the pool industry) that will inspect various steps along the way.  If that passes, maybe other states will adopt similar codes.

maybe.

[Chas]

Whenever this comes up, I am quick to point out that it is a tragedy of course, but it has never happened in a portable spa. There are some portable spas which are sold without the benefit of conforming to UL standards - but even those do not generate the suction at a single point on the bottom. UL/ETL approved spas will have safe systems for suction so that this cannot happen.

All the major brand names are ETL or UL approved.

 8-)

[drewstar]

Whenever this comes up, I am quick to point out that it is a tragedy of course, but it has never happened in a portable spa. There are some portable spas which are sold without the benefit of conforming to UL standards - but even those do not generate the suction at a single point on the bottom. UL/ETL approved spas will have safe systems for suction so that this cannot happen.

All the major brand names are ETL or UL approved.

 8-)

While you say they don't genereate suction at a single point out the bottom,  could they genereate enough suction to hold a small child under, or entrap hair and thus hold a head under water?

[Zep]

re: "but it has never happened in a portable spa"



The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) helped develop standards to prevent hair entanglement and bodypart entrapment in spas, hot tubs, and whirlpools. These standards should help prevent deaths and injuries. Consumers should fix their old spas, hot tubs, and whirlpools with new, safer drain covers. CPSC warns about these hazards:

Drownings -- The main hazard from hot tubs and spas is the same as that from pools - drowning. Since 1990, CPSC has reports of more than 800 deaths in spas and hot tubs. About one-fifth of those were drownings to children under age five. Consumers should keep a locked safety cover on the spa whenever it is not in use and keep children away unless there is constant adult supervision.


Hair Entanglement -- Since 1990, CPSC has reports of 43 incidents (including 12 deaths) in which people's hair was sucked into the suction fitting of a spa, hot tub, or whirlpool, causing the victim's head to be held under water. Hair entanglement occurs when a bather's hair becomes entangled in a drain cover as the water and hair are drawn through the drain. In some incidents, children were playing a "hold your breath the longest" game. Permitting their long hair to be sucked into the drain. CPSC helped develop a voluntary standard for drain covers that helps reduce the risk of hair entrapment. Consumers should be sure they have new drain covers that meet this standard. If you are not sure, call a pool or spa professional to check the spa. Never allow a child to play in a way that could permit the child's hair to come near the drain cover. If a drain cover is missing or broken, shut down the spa until the cover is replaced.


Bodypart Entrapment -- CPSC knows of 74 incidents since 1990 in which parts of the body have been entrapped by the strong suction of the drain of pools, wad-ing pools, spas, and hot tubs. Of these, two resulted in dis-embowelment and 13 other people died. CPSC helped develop a standard requiring dome-shaped drain outlets and two outlets for each pump. This reduces the powerful suction if one drain is blocked. Consumers with older spas should have new drain covers installed and may want to consider getting a spa with two drains.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5112.html