The nation\’s leading code and pool safety organizations have joined together and published the first comprehensive code to upgrade pool and spa safety, and meet the requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. The new code is now available in soft cover and as a PDF download.
The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), published by the International Code Council, uses prescriptive and performance-related provisions to establish minimum safety requirements for public and residential pools, spas and hot tubs. ISPSC was developed with input from a wide range of industry experts, including the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), and was finalized through the Code Council\’s governmental consensus process.
In a single publication and online document, the ISPSC effectively combines the relevant provisions of the full set of ICC Codes, (including theInternational Residential Code, International Building Code, International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code) as well as the APSP standards, to serve as the one and only consolidated and fully integrated document for pool and spa safety.
The ISPSC responds to the needs of many jurisdictions that still use the Standard Swimming Pool Code, and integrates the widely used design and safety features of both the APSP standards and the I-Codes. The ISPSC will allow code enforcement officials, health officials, designers and builders to more effectively ensure pools and spas are built safely. Code uniformity also will result in more consistent contractor training and certification, and will be more cost-effective. By adopting the ISPSC, the industry and the public will benefit from nationwide uniformity, advances in safety and technology, and for the first time, unprecedented protection for users of residential and public pools and spas.
“Less than a decade ago, a seven-year-old girl named Virginia Baker-granddaughter of former White House Chief of Staff and Treasury Secretary James Baker-was the victim of a tragic, fatal accident in an in-ground spa,” said Richard P. Weiland, Code Council CEO. “If our pool and spa code can spare even one family from the loss that the Baker\’s and thousands of other families have suffered, we will leave a lasting legacy.”
“Through our collaboration with the ICC, the ISPSC has expanded APSP\’s standards objective to protect consumers through one code across the 50 states,” said Bill Weber, APSP president and CEO. “Knowing what to expect makes it more efficient for manufacturers and pool contractors to install pools, spas and hot tubs. And what\’s more, building code and public health officials now have a comprehensive code to help ensure that pools and spas are built safely. It\’s a win-win for everyone.”
Source: Public Works