By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
We have a whirlpool tub in our master bathroom and took great interest in your column last week regarding bacterial health hazards in whirlpool bathtubs. We also remember hearing about another related hazard, one that involved an accidental drowning. Is there any information you can provide in this regard? -- Terry
Dear Terry,
The incident you recall took place in Southern California a few years ago. A young woman was rinsing her hair in a whirlpool tub while the pump was operating. The circulating system drew her hair into one of the water intake openings, where it became entangled, preventing her from surfacing.
Since that tragic accident, HydraBaths Corporation, a whirlpool manufacturer in Santa Ana, California, has implemented a recall of some of its suction covers. The covers in question are notable in that the openings are wider than one-eighth of an inch, allowing easy entanglement of hair. If your whirlpool tub is a HydraBaths product, or if the openings in your suction covers seem large enough to raise concern, I recommend that you contact the manufacturer or the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission in Washington, D.C.
Regardless of the type of system you own or the size of the intake openings, it is advised that you not submerge your head while the circulating pump is in operation.
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