Pentair SunBrite II Owner’s Manual

The Virginia Graeme Baker
Pool and Spa Safety Act:

What Every Commercial or Public
Pool Operator Should Know

A Guide to VGBA Compliance

Prepared by Pentair Water Commercial Pool and Aquatics™

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA),

which went into effect in December of 2008, remains an important source of concern for hospitality

establishments, health and tness clubs, multi family residential developments, public recreation

authorities and other commercial and public pool operators that have not yet brought their pools into

compliance. According to estimates from the nonprot National Swimming Pool Foundation, as of

early 2009, a majority of the nation’s public pool operators – some 70 percent – had not yet invested

in the equipment mandated by the new law (Associated Press, March 20, 2009*).

But, with a proper understanding of the law’s requirements, operators who have not yet taken action

will nd that compliance is not as difcult as it might initially appear. For some, the compliance solution

can even deliver energy savings that can repay the investment and deliver ongoing operating cost

savings over time.

Making swimmers safe
is good for business

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety
Act deals with suction entrapment, which is by
denition an accident that traps a swimmer
underneath the water. This can occur if hair is
pulled into a drain that is not compliant with the
act, or if the drain cover is too small for the pump.

Drain covers that are cracked, loose or missing
pose a serious hazard to curious swimmers who
insert a limb into an open drain and evisceration
may occur if an individual sits on an open drain.
Full-body entrapment can occur if a body makes a
vacuum seal against a at or missing drain cover.
Mechanical, non-suction entrapment can occur if
ngers or a bathing suit is hooked by a broken or
improperly installed drain.

These are real threats to swimmers that can be
drastically reduced by some relatively simple but
critically important equipment upgrades and
proper maintenance. If that is not incentive enough,
operators that do not address an entrapment
hazard may risk pool closure, nes, higher
insurance premiums and/or potential criminal
liability, even if an accident does not occur.

How to Comply

Install new drain covers: To comply with the
law, operators should rst replace all submerged
drain covers and safety drain covers with new
compliant covers certied to the ASME A112.19.8­2007 standard. These new “domed” covers are the
rst line of defense against entrapment including
mechanical, hair, evisceration or limb entrapment.
The compliant drain covers should be installed on
all submerged suction outlets, even those where
no suction is used.

Compliant drain covers should display the “VGB
2008” or “ASME A112.19.8-2007” marks. All covers
must be securely attached. If a cover becomes
loose, cracked or damaged in any way, shut down
the pool until the cover can be secured or replaced.

Additional SVRS protection may also be
required: Commercial or public pools and spas

with a single main drain system (other than an
unblockable drain) must be equipped with one
or more additional devices designed to prevent
suction entrapment and meet the requirements
of the ASME/ANSI A112.19.17 SVRS standard or
applicable consumer product safety rule. If the
pool or spa has multiple drains and they are at