April 23, 2008

Spa Energy Efficiency Testing Begins,
Balboa Water Group Recognized for Contributions
APSP is pleased to announce that spa energy efficiency testing at the National Pool (& Spa) Industry Research Center (NPIRC) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) is now under way. For a complete update of the program and to learn how you may donate your hot tub models for testing, click HERE.

APSP would like to thank Balboa Water Group (BWG) for its contributions and support of several key industry initiatives. Over the past year, BWG has contributed over $150,000.00 in equipment, personnel and other resources, at no cost to the industry or APSP, in support of the test programs including the spa energy efficiency research at Cal Poly. MORE.

Your Renewal Notice Is In the Mail!
Membership Dues Notices are being mailed out this week. Your APSP membership provides great networking, professional development, and members-only benefit programs to maximize profits, reduce expenses and lower risks! If you prefer, you can renew online. Visit APSP.org and renew today! 
Questions about your membership? Please contact Member Services at memberservices@APSP.org or 703.838.0083, ext. 301.

New APSP Suction Entrapment Article Available
An article by APSP member Shajee Siddiqui has been published by the International Code Council (ICC) in the January-February 2008 issue of its Building Safety Journal. The article, “Entrapment Prevention in Pools and Spas,” tells the APSP suction entrapment avoidance story in easy-to-understand layman’s terms. Mr. Siddiqui is the director of Product Safety and Compliance for Jandy Pool Products and currently serves as the chair of the APSP-7 Suction Entrapment Avoidance standard writing committee.

APSP has permission to widely distribute this article, so forward copies of the article to all of the building code officials in your area and others who need this important information. The article is posted on APSP.org on the “Issues in Legislation” page of the section “Government Relations” (http://www.apsp.org/32/index.aspx).

APSP Meets with Consumer Product Safety Commission
APSP President and CEO Bill Weber, and Senior Technical Director Carvin DiGiovanni, met April 15 with Commissioners Thomas Moore and Nancy Nord of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to discuss implementation of the federal Pool and Spa Safety Act. APSP offered to the CPSC the pool and spa industry’s technical resources and assistance to help publicize the Act, including the need for public pools and spas to comply by December 20, 2008, with the Act’s mandatory suction entrapment avoidance requirements. The CPSC is the federal agency that is charged with administration and enforcement of the Act. MORE.

Over 300 Attend House Hearing on Seasonal Foreign Workers;
H-1B Visa Applications Closed
On April 16, more than 300 small and seasonal business owners and employees attended a House Subcommittee on Immigration hearing on the guest worker visa program, known as H-2B. The program allows 66,000 foreign, unskilled, non-agricultural workers to be hired for seasonal jobs in the U.S. each year. A provision that allows returning workers not to count against this limit expired on September 30, 2007, and Congress has not been able to renew it. The hearing could be a step toward renewal. MORE.

Career Institute Regents to Focus on Professional Development
The Board of Regents, the team selected to lead APSP’s new Career Institute may represent different parts of the pool, spa and hot tub industry, but all have one thing in common: they are committed to improving the performance of employees. “Improving employee performance is the key to more profitable businesses,” explains Kathleen Carlson of Aqua Quip. “We’ve put together a great group of members who have experience teaching our current education programs, along with others who have experience with corporate and university training programs. Our vision is to take a holistic approach to employee development, and engage our industry and talk about what it means to be a professional,” continues Carlson. MORE.

APSP Pool & Spa Safety Week: Show Consumers You Care!
Differentiate yourself from the competition. APSP members are THE professionals. We want consumers to know, when they are building or servicing pools or spas, they need someone who is up on the latest information that will make their experience enjoyable and safe. Get involved in the first APSP Pool & Spa Safety Week, May 31-June 6. Have an event. Use the safety logo in your ads. Put a poster in your window. For more ideas and free artwork and templates, click here. Show them you care. Celebrate Safety!

APSP Region 9 Exhibits at the Eastern States Building Officials Federation
Walter Perry, Region 9 Regional Service Center Manager, manned an APSP booth at the Eastern States Building Officials Federation 59th Annual Educational Conference, from April 6-9 in Sturbridge, MA. APSP Region 9, through its chapter, the Swimming Pool Association of New England, gave key information and tools to building code officials, to help them become more knowledgeable about standards for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of public and private pools and spas. MORE.

You can contribute to IC. Click here to find out how, or send an email to ic@APSP.org. You may also fax 703.549.0493.