CPSC Accepts New NSPI Offer To Develop Swimming Pool Slide Standard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the acceptance of the National Swimming Pool Institute (NSPI) offer to develop a proposed safety standard for swimming pool water slides.

NSPI, a national trade association representing the swimming pool industry, will have until May 6, 1975, to present a recommended standard to the Commission. The acceptance is contained in a Federal Register notice available from the CPSC Office of the Secretary.

The Commission extended the development period from March 23 to May 6, 1975, due to the complexity of the problem, the need for human factors studies, the need to insure adequate opportunity for participation by all interested persons in the development work, and to provide NSPI with sufficient time to evaluate all comments on the standard it drafts.

The Commission invited offerors to develop a swimming pool slide standard for the second time on October 24, 1974, and received offers from NSPI and Nova University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The Commission published its first invitation in the Federal Register on June 28, 1974. NSPI submitted two offers, both of which were rejected without prejudice as inadequately responsive to the Commission's specific invitation for offers as well as its regulations governing standards development.

NSPI and Aqua Slide 'N Dive Corp., which also will take part in the development of the standard, had petitioned the Commission on May 30, 1973, to issue a mandatory standard for swimming pool water slides and the Commission granted the petition based on a preliminary finding that the pool slides pose unreasonable risks of injury to consumers.

In accepting the new NSPI offer, the Commission found that the organization was technically competent, likely to develop a proposed standard within the specified amount of time and committed to following Commission regulations which, among other things, call for full consumer participation in standards development activities.

NSPI stated in its offer that it intended to develop a completely new standard and after reviewing existing technical data would conduct additional tests as necessary to develop a standard which would eliminate or reduce the number and severity of injuries associated with swimming pool water slides. NSPI will receive up to $14,000 from the Commission to defray costs of consumer participation. NSPI estimates that total development costs will reach $138,000.

NSPI will utilize a management committee consisting of technical and use-oriented consumers to oversee the development process. A development committee, comprised of experts of different disciplines, as well as technical and use-oriented consumers, will gather information affecting the standard through technical research, personal experience and public hearings.

All persons interested in participating in standards development activities, in person or by correspondence, including opportunity to comment on the standard drafted by NSPI, should contact: Mr. Larry Paulick, NSPI Program Coordinator, National Swimming Pool Institute, 2000 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20006 (Telephone: 202/331-8844). Copies of the CPSC-NSPI agreement and the Federal Register notice announcing acceptance of the NSPI offer are on file in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1750 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20207.