IMG SRC NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2004 Release # 04-185 CPSC Media Contacts: Mark Ross (301) 504-7076 Eric Criss, (301) 504-7908 CPSC Holds Public Hearing in Phoenix on Swimming Pool Safety WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of its efforts to reduce the rate of child drownings, and deaths and injuries due to entrapments in pool and spa suction outlets, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today is holding the second of two public hearings this summer on pool and spa safety. Today’s hearing is in Phoenix, Ariz. The first hearing was held in Tampa, Fla., on June 21, 2004. The purpose of these hearings is to gather information that can be used to improve CPSC’s pool safety guidelines and to raise awareness of the drowning problem in the U.S. “Arizonans are on the frontlines of swimming pool safety, and have made preventing pool drowning deaths a high-priority issue,” said CPSC chairman Hal Stratton. “We’re looking forward to getting their perspective on what CPSC can do nationally to reduce the number of drowning deaths.” In recent years, an average of about 250 children under age 5 drowned annually in swimming pools nationwide. Drowning has been a leading cause of death from unintentional injuries to children under 5 years old. To address this, CPSC has set a strategic goal to reduce the rate of drownings of children under age 5 by 10 percent over the next 10 years. CPSC invited local, state and federal legislators, building code officials, emergency first responders, community groups, interest groups, and leaders of the pool and spa industry to attend the hearing and provide their recommendations to the Commission. Scheduled presenters at the Phoenix hearing include representatives from the Phoenix and Tucson Fire Departments, the Arizona Child Fatality Review Team, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Spa and Pool Institute, the National Swimming Pool Foundation, National Safe Kids Campaign, and drowning victim family members. CPSC is in the process of revising its Guidelines for Entrapment Hazards: Making Pools and Spas Safer, originally published in 1998. The guidelines provide pool and spa owners with CPSC’s recommendations on actions they should take to eliminate the potential for suction entrapment or hair entanglement in pools and spas. A draft of the updated entrapment hazard guidelines and information about all types of drowning prevention can be found at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov. At the start of this summer, CPSC began a major pool drowning prevention information and education campaign, which included a video news release broadcast to television stations across the country to highlight the drowning hazards associated with residential pools. CPSC encourages pool owners to have layers of protection, including at a minimum, a barrier completely surrounding the pool, such as a fence with self-closing and self-latching gates. Additional layers include door alarms, pool safety covers, and pool alarms. Constant supervision of young children also is extremely important. “Campaigns like these remind pool owners of how critical the basics are to pool safety,” Stratton said. “An earlier CPSC study showed that almost 70 percent of the young victims were not expected to be in or even around the pool. Close supervision and barriers are paramount in keeping young children safe.” EVENT SUMMARY: WHO: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, including Chairman Hal Stratton WHAT: Public Hearing on Swimming Pool Safety WHERE: Phoenix City Council Chambers WHEN: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 9 a.m. – Media Avail at 8:30 a.m. in the chambers. PURPOSE: Provide CPSC, a federal agency, with information on improving drowning prevention methods to implement nationwide.