Child drowning continues to be a serious concern in aboveground swimming pools. Despite efforts to reduce these incidents through warning labels and instruction manuals, these measures alone have not proven effective.

A team of investigators from ESi (Dennis Brickman, P.E.; Peggy Shibata, P.E.; Anne Mathias, P.E.; and Katie Zakutansky) co-authored a peer-reviewed paper in August of 2024 titled “Aboveground Swimming Pool Child Access Prevention Through Product Design.” The study addresses the serious hazard of children accessing aboveground pools by using exterior support straps or pool ladders.

To better understand this risk, the team conducted two controlled trials using an empty aboveground pool and children under four years of age. Their research focused on evaluating how children interact with pool features, including different ladder designs and compression straps, each offering varying levels of child resistance and safety mechanisms.

The primary goal of the study was to raise awareness among pool designers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, safety standards agencies, and consumers about the limitations of warnings and manuals in preventing a child from drowning. By applying the safety hierarchy, the authors advocate for higher-level risk reduction strategies, particularly through improved product design.

Their findings underscore the urgent need for passive and active safety features that can significantly reduce the risk of child access and make pools safer for children.

In August 2024, ESi’s investigative team presented their findings at the XXXVIth Annual International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference in Denver, Colorado.

In March 2025, Peggy Shibata served as an expert witness in a landmark trial involving the drowning of a two-year-old child in 2019. The jury awarded the plaintiff a $25 million verdict against the pool manufacturer. The jury verdict highlighted the value of independent testing with children, which provided evidence the jury considered in reaching its decision. It also reinforced the importance of proactive safety measures in product design to help prevent child access and reduce drowning risks.

This research, along with the outcome of the trial, served as a catalyst for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a nationwide recall on July 21, 2025. The recall targeted aboveground pools 48 inches and taller that feature compression straps running along the outside and over the vertical support legs, design elements that pose a serious drowning risk to children. The action marked a significant step forward in advancing child safety and holding manufacturers accountable through improved product design.

Dennis Brickman was interviewed by several news agencies across the United States and Canada and offered his expert safety engineering analysis into the factors and reasonings behind this recall. You can view these news segments and articles here: Nationwide Pool Recall - Dennis Brickman Offers Expert Safety Engineering Analysis

Biomechanics & Safety and Human Factors Analysis at ESi

ESi’s experts bring deep experience in understanding how people interact with products, machines, vehicles, and environments. The team regularly consults on matters involving consumer products, medical devices, toys, fitness equipment, tools, industrial machinery, construction equipment, and exposure to hazardous substances and environments. This multidisciplinary group of engineers and subject matter experts is equipped to analyze complex safety issues across a wide range of industries.