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The heat of summer is in full swing.  As our children head into the pool to cool off, keep in mind that modern pool and spa drains generally contain direct suction.  Powerful suction can trap swimmers under water causing serious brain injury and death.  According to statistics reported in the Los Angeles Times, “Between 1999 and 2008, 12 people were killed in pool and spa entrapments and 72 were injured, according to a CPSC report released Thursday.”  Fortunately, at the end of 2008, federal legislation went into effect to prevent powerful suction from trapping swimmers at the bottom of pools and spas. In response, public and private pool owners invested in drain covers intended to mitigate the dangerous effects of direct suction drains.  However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a massive voluntary recall just as the summer swimming season starts to heat up.  As reported by the Los Angeles Times on May 27, 2011, “About 1 million covers made by eight manufacturers, some among the largest, were being voluntarily pulled after a confidential report revealed the products had failed safety tests. Officials with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said public pools and spas with direct suction systems and recalled covers should close until replacement covers could be installed.”  http://www.latimes.com/health/fl-cpsc-recall-florida-pools-20110526,0,5231496.story.