About the Pool Safely Campaign
To improve pool and spa safety, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched Pool Safely: Simple Steps to Save Lives, a national public education campaign to reduce childhood drownings, submersion injuries and entrapments.
The campaign is a call-to-action for consumers and industry to adopt proven water safety steps and join a national conversation about pool and spa safety by sharing best practices and other life-saving information.
Pool Safely carries out the provisions of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act), federal legislation mandating new requirements for public pools and spas, including a public information campaign.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act) was enacted by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush on December 19, 2007. Designed to prevent the tragic and hidden hazard of drain entrapments and eviscerations in pools and spas, the law became effective on December 19, 2008. You can find a PDF of the act here.
Pool Safely Grant Program
The Pool Safely Grant Program aims to help prevent the drowning and drain entrapments of children in pools and spas. It provides state and local governments with assistance to implement enforcement and education programs. To learn more about the program, visit our Grants page.
About the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), created by Congress as an independent agency, began operation in 1973.
In the Consumer Product Safety Act, Congress directed CPSC to protect the public “against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products.” In addition to pool and spa safety, the CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard.
The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products-such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals-contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.