Ten steps to preparing your facility for the upcoming season

1. Check barriers. Ensure that chain link hasn’t been cut and that vertical rails in fencing are no more than four inches apart. Use a tape measure. Your eye may not detect ? inch of additional space, but that little bit of extra room may be all that a child needs to squeeze through and into your facility. Avoid ornamental fencing that has horizontal members, as children may find this tempting to climb. Likewise, do not position benches next to fences. This can give a climber just the boost needed to get up and over your fence. Make sure all gates open outward, are self-closing, and have latches installed out of the reach of children.

2. Run in-service training with all staff before opening the pool for the season and regularly throughout the season. Emergency skills should be practiced in the environment in which they’ll be used. Ensure that all equipment is operational and all certifications are up to date. Read more »

MSDS: Information for All Brendan Tedrick, MS, LGI and CPO

MSDS are essential to the well being of the pool staff and patrons, because they provide basic information about each chemical/pesticide and the possible dangers of each chemical. Every chemical that is used at your aquatic facility or swimming pool must have a legible and accessible MSDS on file. Not only does the staff have to know where the MSDS booklet is located but how to use the information in the MSDS booklet. The MSDS booklet must be kept in an accessible location to all staff, so that everyone has access to the chemical information found in the MSDS booklet.

OSHA’s suggested format for an MSDS is referred to as “Form 174”. Form 174 contains eight categories/sections. The next part of this article will explain the eight sections of Form 174. Section one contains the chemical manufacturer’s name, address and phone number. Staff will be able to contact the manufactures if they have any questions in regard to their chemical. Section two of the MSDS contains a list of the hazardous components by the chemical identity and permissible exposure limit information. The staff needs to know about permissible exposure limits, so that they know if they were ever exposed to too much of the chemical. The third section of the MSDS deals with the physical/chemical characteristics of the chemical. Here are some of the characteristics that could be mentioned in section three: boiling point, vapor pressure, vapor density, specific gravity, melting point, evaporation rate, solubility in water, physical appearance and odor. Read more »