Most swimmers never give a second thought to the drain at the bottom of a pool or spa — but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that pool and spa drains can trap and kill. Since 1990, CPSC has reports of 130 people who became entrapped on pool and spa drains or whose hair became entangled in drain covers, resulting in 27 deaths. Since 1980, CPSC also has reports of more than 700 deaths in spas and hot tubs — about one-third of those were drownings of children under age five.
How Does Drain Entrapment Happen?
Under normal conditions, pipes leading from a pool’s drain draw water from the pool, creating suction. If something blocks the pool drain, the amount of suction increases dramatically as the pump continues drawing water past the obstruction. This increased suction can entrap parts of a person’s body, holding them underwater. There are several types of entrapment:
- Body entrapment: The powerful suction from a pool or spa drain can trap a child or adult against the drain opening, making it impossible to pull free. In one incident, a 16-year-old girl drowned when her body was sucked against a drain on the bottom of a spa, forming a vacuum seal that held her underwater.
- Disembowelment: In wading pools, if a young child sits on an uncovered drain outlet, the suction can cause disembowelment. CPSC has records of incidents involving young children, ages 2 to 6, sitting on uncovered drains in public wading pools and suffering rectal lacerations and partial or nearly complete eviscerations.
- Hair entanglement: Since 1978, CPSC has reports of 49 incidents — including 13 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 underwater.
What You Should Do
- Never use a pool or spa if there are broken or missing drain covers. A missing or improperly secured drain cover is the leading cause of entrapment incidents.
- Ask your pool operator if the pool has drain covers that comply with the current federal safety standard under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA).
- If you have a residential pool or spa, ensure that drain covers are properly installed, fully secured with all required screws, and meet current safety standards.
- Do not purchase non-compliant drain covers. CPSC has recently warned consumers to stop using Maxmartt Pool Drain Covers and Tooetoy Pool Drain Covers, both sold on Amazon.com, due to entrapment hazards and violations of the VGBA.
- Keep long hair tied up or covered with a swim cap when using pools, spas, or hot tubs.
- Never allow children to play near or sit on pool drains.
To report a dangerous drain cover or a pool entrapment injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).
Source: https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Pools-and-Spas
