Forensic Engineering Experts: Swimming Pools

By: Dr. Irving Ojalvo

Tel: (800) 358-9909
Fax: (888) 358-9901
Email: Technology Associates

Though swimming pool accidents are sometimes the result of reckless participant behavior, they can also be caused by inadequate supervision, warnings, structures, or defective pool design. Structures commonly found in or near swimming pools include slides, ladders, diving surfaces and fencing. Pools must also be equipped with appropriate markings, signage and warnings indicating pool depths and other potential hazards. In addition, the safety of a pool's design and surrounding walkways, which may become too slippery when wet, must be considered. For this reason, many municipalities publish ordinances and associations provide detailed information regarding pool safety.

Expertise	Questions Answered
We have extensive experience in many aspects of swimming pools including: Swimming pool depth surveys Building codes & standards Safety lines for separating deep from shallow areas Signs, appropriate pool markings and warnings (e.g. No Diving) Through scientific analysis, we can help you answer pertinent questions such as: Does the pool comply with local building code requirements? Are the warning signs adequate? Is the pool surrounding surface slip resistant? How was the diver's neck injured?
Case Examples
Drowning in Public Pool: A young child entered the shallow side of a swimming pool and began walking toward the deep side. At a certain point along the way, he lost his footing and eventually drowned. Our investigation revealed that the safety line, a rope attached to floats that separates the shallow and deep areas, was absent. In addition, the slope of the pool bottom was too steep, in violation of standards. These two factors, which we cited, contributed to a rapid settlement. Slip & Fall in a Swimming Pool: A man walking toward the swimming pool in his housing development slipped several feet from the pool's edge and was severely injured. We discovered that a four foot wide strip of the concrete surface surrounding the pool had been painted. As a result, the surface could not absorb water, causing puddles, which resulted in a significantly reduced coefficient of friction. After we showed that this slippery condition was the cause of the accident, the case settled.

Dr. Irving Ojalvo was, at the time of this article's publication, the Chairman of Technology Associates (www.technology-assoc.com), a forensic engineering firm with offices in New York City and Connecticut. The firm's technical personnel, all of whom have advanced degrees, perform accident reconstruction involving issues of biomechanics, mechanical, traffic, and human factors engineering.

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Forensic Engineering Experts: Codes & Standards

By: Dr. Irving Ojalvo

Codes and standards specify criteria necessary to ensure that a product, material or process will consistently and safely perform its intended function. Although standards provide minimum design requirements, conforming to a standard is not always sufficient in preventing an accident.

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Forensic Engineering Experts: Swimming Pools

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