High Voltage Pool Lights should be banned.

Florida Should Pass Calder Sloan Law to Improve Pool Safety

By Greg J. Perenich, Esq.

Last summer 7 year old Calder Sloan was electrocuted in his North Miami backyard swimming pool. The shock he suffered originated from a faulty high voltage pool light. It was so severe it sent Calder up in the air stopped his heart from beating.   Calder never recovered and was pronounced deceased by electrocution.   It turns out the Calder family pool light wasn’t grounded properly and because it was high voltage, Calder never had a chance to survive the shock.

Florida and Arizona are known to have more backyard swimming pools per capita than any other state. But no law exists in the Sunshine State that currently prohibits the use of high voltage lighting in backyard swimming pools. If the light in Calder’s pool had been low voltage, the young boy would still be alive today.

Calder’s dad, Chris Sloan, is doing something to change the laws in Florida. He is advocating in Tallahassee to ban high voltage lighting in private, residential swimming pools and to require inspections of commercial pool lighting. Earlier this week Sloan testified before a Senate panel, telling lawmakers why he wants to see Florida pools to have to comply with safer standards for in-ground lighting. Initially lawmakers appeared to be resistant to change and wanted to table it for more study. But now his proposal is gaining momentum with a number of safety advocates and local leaders in South Florida coming to his aid.

Florida lawmakers and Governor Scott should pass the “Calder Sloan Law” and make it effective July 1, 2015. Homeowners need to be better informed of the dangers of high voltage pool lighting to save lives with minimal cost and inconvenience.

To learn more about Calder please visit his tribute website http://calderslegacy.com/poolsafety/