Safety

It's been over two years since VGB took effect on Dec. 19, 2008. In that time, the Act has moved from an initial stage of industry notification to interpretation (the spelling out by the CPSC of exactly what must be done and by whom), and finally compliance verification and the now incipient general safety education phase.

Here are some of 2012's finest safety products from leading manufacturers nationwide.

As a contractor with extensive experience with all types of fire features, and as an expert witness in situations where something's gone terribly wrong, I'd like to share some of the basic guidelines I use to maximize both safety and enjoyment of fire pits.

To co-opt and slightly alter a popular advertising adage, safety sells. The following companies offer awide range of safety products that do the double duty of keeping customers safe while keeping registers ringing.

Ever since pools became a fixture in the American suburban landscape in the 1950s, concerns over safety have come along for the ride. Now, more than a half century later, the pool and spa industry still grapples with the unfortunate fact that drowning remains the second most common cause of unintentional injury or death for children under age four.

To date, VGB hasn't meant all that much to the residential pool builder: When you build a new pool or update an existing one, use an approved drain cover with proper flow rating, sump and fasteners. That's about it. It's hard to mess that up. But changes,traceable to this law, are coming to the residential market.

Six new online compliance training courses are now on the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) website and may be accessed at www.nspf.org. The courses are Hearing Conservation, Lock and Tag, Forklift Safety, Fall Protection, Scaffold Safety, and Ladder Safety.

Any discussion about water and electrical lighting really must include the all-important topic of safety. Just as devices such as electric motors and in-pool lights must be grounded and steel structures bonded, so too lighting around bodies of water be installed following basic safety guidelines.

For decades, the winter pool cover has been like your mom's sensible shoes — a prudent and functional guarantee against all hazards, but hardly the most aesthetic element in her wardrobe.

For the past several years, aquatic designer and pioneer, Skip Phillips, has grappled with the challenge of making suction and return fittings disappear. Now, in this confusing season of the massive drain recall and the CPSC's rule reversal, Phillips has developed a new way to approach these fixtures, one that solves aesthetic problems and eliminates any risk of suction entrapment.

The positive solution for the prevention of entrapment in swimming pools is quite simple: Eliminate the swimming pool floor drain.

Keep your customers safe in their pool and spa with these products.

Legal experts explain how recent laws and regulations affect pool and spa companies.

Our roundup of some of the updated and bestselling safety products around the industry.

As electrical-related pool accidents spike, it's imperative that pool pros check the safety of their pool wiring. Here's a simple way to do so.

If you're a service pro who works in hot climates, keeping yourself safe from heat injuries is critical. Here, two service pros share their stories and advice for staying cool.

A mistake in your wiring can be costly — prevent hazards by following this advice.

While VGB altered the way commercial pools were plumbed and made them safer, it contained no mandatory provisions for backyard pools.

More than six in 10 homeowners without a pool are concerned about the safety of their children or grandchildren in a pool. APSP is developing programs to help turn the tide.

The air quality at this indoor pool was so bad, swimmers were forced to use inhalers to get through workouts. To help remedy the problem, Bill Drakeley turned to a unique system from Paddock Pool Equipment.

This service company takes a proactive approach to safety. Why? Because safety is less a matter of what you say, than what you do.

On the 10th anniversary of VGB, APSP President and CEO Rich Gottwald speaks on Capitol Hill about the law’s great impact on water safety.

Cases of crypto have doubled between 2014 and 2016. We examine how it spreads and what service techs can do to kill it.

Because there's no telling what contaminates are in floodwater.

E. coli lives in the intestinal tract. When it migrates to pool water (and is not sanitized), it becomes a hazard.

In cold Northern climates, the top pool step is especially vulnerable to cracks. Here's how to fix it.

Legionella, an airborne bacteria, can pose a serious risk to swimmers. Here’s how to prevent it.

Pool service can be demanding, particularly on the knees. Is there a way to get the job done while also being kind to your body?

Although most people in the industry have heard of it, few know the risks and mysteries of biofilm.

Here are some tips for dealing with customers in fire-prone areas.