This is an introduction to a series on safety. In the upcoming blogs I will be asking a couple of guests to provide us their perspective on safety, focusing on drowning and accident prevention; essentially a view from the “pool deck”. I am going to talk about the often ignored, danger that arises from chemical storage and handling.
While the average swimmer is generally unaware of the volatility of the chemicals used to maintain a well sanitized and balanced pool, the pools operators and management have the daily responsibility to ensure that the pool is chemically safe for their patrons, but, as importantly they have to invest time and resources to ensure that the mechanical and chemical function of the pools operation is not compromised in any manner.
Mechanical doors, which, by code, should always be kept locked, are usually located a short distance from the actual pool itself. This is where the equipment to keep the pool operational is located, and, of course where the sanitizing chemicals are added to the pool, usually automatically utilizing a microprocessor which monitors the water chemistry levels and which would activate a relay that adds the necessary chemicals to a small port in the plumbing back to the pool.
These chemicals are dangerous and have to be handled with great care, and protective gear is required. Should a chemical be spilled, or be mixed incorrectly, a life-threatening situation could potentially be activated. Many a pool has had to be evacuated, and emergency responders summoned, and, at times, swimmers have ended up in emergency rooms for critical medical attention.
In the next blog we will begin to examine each of the many layers of safety requirements around a swimming pool and look for solutions wherever possible.
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