1. TEHA PANHANDLE MEETING – JUNE 2017 POOL SAFETY Speaker: Gregg Olberts

2. WHO IS PERFORMING POOL INSPECTIONS – YOUR JURIDICTION?
THIS WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE PROGRAM
LET’S SEE A SHOW OF HANDS, WHO’S INSPECTING?
IF YOU ARE NOT INSPECTING, WHO IS?
ARE THERE ANY CERTIFIED POOL OPERATORS?
WHAT TRAINING DID YOU RECEIVE?

3. SWIMMING POOL DESCRIPTION
LET’S DO THE ANALOGY OF A POOL TO A HUMAN BODY
GATE & FENCE =
CELL MEMBRANE OR MAYBE SKIN
GATE OPENS OUT, SELF-CLOSING & SELF-LATCHING
PUMP =
HEART
FILTER =
KIDNEYS
FLOW LINES =
VEINS & ARTERIES

4. MORE ABOUT POOLS HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE PUMP RUN?
CONTINUOUSLY…HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR HEART TO PUMP?
WHAT IS CONSIDERED A TURNOVER RATE?
IT’S THE TIME IT TAKES FOR AN ENTIRE POOL VOLUME (OR SPA VOLUME) TO GET PUMPED THROUGH THE FILTER
HOW MANY TURNOVERS ARE REQUIRED?
FOR A POST POOL 4/DAY (DEPTH DEPENDANT)
FOR A PRE-1999 POOL 3/DAY
FOR A SPA 48/DAY

5. STILL MORE ABOUT POOLS WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN WATER IS PUMPED?
DIRTY WATER IS GETTING FILTERED
DISINFECTANT IS BEING ADDED

6. SWIMMING POOL CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE IS # 1 DISINFECTANT
ANY CHLORINE PRODUCT ADDED TO WATER YIELDS HYPOCHLOROUS ACID (HOCL) + HYPOCHLORITE ION (OCL-) + IMPURITIES
HOCL DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING – PATHOGEN DESTROYING & OXYDATION
OCL- IS TIMES WEAKER

7. POOL CHEMISTRY - pH EFFECT
RATIO OF HOCL TO OCL- IS pH DEPENDENT
LOWER pH RESULTS IN HIGHER HOCL
CONVERSLY HIGHER pH YIELDS LOWER HOCL
WHAT IS TEXAS’ ALLOWABLE pH RANGE?
7.0 – 7.8
AT 7.0 pH CONVERSION IS ~75%
AT 7.8 pH CONVERSION IS ~33%
KEEP pH LOWER AND KILL PATHOGENS FASTER

8. POOL CHEMISTRY - CHLORINE
TOTAL CH = FREE CL + COMBINED CL
FREE CL = HOCL + OCL-
WHAT IS TEXAS’ ALLOWABLE CL RANGE?
1 – 8 PPM POOLS
2 – 8 PPM SPAS
IF READING 1 PPM CL AT 7.8 pH WHAT IS THE ACTUAL PATHOGEN DESTROYING LEVEL CH (HOCL)?
0.3 PPM CL – NOT MUCH DESTROYING GOING ON

9. POOL CHEMISTRY - CyA STABILIZED CH – CYANURIC ACID (CyA)
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
BOTH TRICHLOR & DICHLOR ARE STABILIZED CH
WHAT DOES CyA DO?
REDUCES THE UV LIGHT DEGREDATION OF CH, SO A LITTLE IS A GOOD THING
CAN YOU HAVE TOO MUCH?
DEFINITELY – TEXAS LIMIT 100 PPM
CyA KEEPS CH FROM DETROYING PATHOGENS
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE CyA?
DUMP WATER & ADD NEW (DILUTION)

10. REASONS FOR POOL CLOSURE
1. TRAINED POOL OPERATOR
NOT HAVING ONE
2. FENCE & GATE
DAMAGED, NOT SELF CLOSING, NOT SELF LATCHING
3. WATER CLARITY
CAN’T SEE THE BOTTOM
WHY IMPORTANT?
ANY MOTIONLESS BODIES NEED RESCUING?
4. OPERABLE 911 DEVICE
NOT PRESENT, WITHIN 200 FEET, OR WORKING

11. MORE REASONS FOR CLOSURE
5. DRAIN COVERS
IN PLACE, UNDAMAGED
6. IF A SINGLE MAIN DRAIN
SAFETY VACUUM RELEASE SYSTEM DEVICE INSTALLED, OPERATING
ELECTRONIC (STINGL SWITCH) - COMMON
MECHANICAL (VAC-ALERT) – MOST COMMON
ATMOSPHERIC VENT
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO AVOID? ENTRAPMENT!
WHAT ARE FORMS OF ENTRAPMENT?
HAIR, LIMB, BODY, EVICERATION/DISEMBOWELMENT, MECHANICAL

12. STILL MORE REASONS TO CLOSE
7. THE PUMP – REMEMBER YOUR HEART
NEEDS TO BE WORKING, FILTERING & DISINFECTING
8. DISINFECTANT RESIDUALS
FREE CHLORINE BETWEEN 1 – 8 PPM POOL
2 – 8 PPM FOR A SPA
9. pH LEVEL
7.0 – 7.8, LOWER IS BETTER
10. CYANURIC ACID LEVEL
LESS THAN 100 PPM

13. TYPICAL POOL INSPECTION
MEET WITH OWNER/ MANAGER
TRAINED OPERATOR, CHECK CERTIFICATION
CHECK LOGS IF IN OFFICE
ARE THEY COMPLETING THEM (TWICE DAILY FOR SEMI-PUBLIC)
WALK OUT TO THE POOL
ENCLOSURE IN GOOD CONDITION?
GATE OPENS OUT, SELF CLOSING & LATCHING
LATCH 60-INCHES OFF GROUND OR INSIDE AND PROTECTED FROM REACH-IN

14. POOL INSPECTION - CONTD
WALK OUT TO THE POOL – CONTD
SAFETY DEVICES IN PLACE AND GOOD CONDITION
REACHING POLE & THROWING BUOY
PROPER WALL SIGNAGE
NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT USE POOL WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION
NO DIVING
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL 911

15. POOL INSPECTION - CONTD
WALK OUT TO THE POOL – CONTD
POOL DECK AND SIDEWALL SIGNAGE
DEPTH MARKERS
EVERY 2 FEET OF DEPTH CHANGE AND NO MORE THAN 25 FEET APART
WITHIN 24-INCHES OF EDGE, FACING OUTWARD
NO DIVING & INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL
NO MORE THAN 25 FEET APART
AT LEAST 1 PER SIDE
WHEN DEPTH IS < 6 FEET
DEPTH STRIPE PRESENT
SEPARATES WATER <5 FEET FROM WATER >5 FEET

17. TDSHS SWIMMING POOL INSPECTION FORM

18. TDSHS SWIMMING POOL INSPECTION FORM

19. Safety Vacuum Release System Device
Pool Safety Basics
Safety Vacuum Release System Device
Designed to sense a blockage (such as a human body) and shut off suction within milliseconds.
These will generally include either:
a mechanical device, like Vac-Alert, or (pause)
An electrical device like a Stingl Switch
Either device, if working and installed properly, should break the vacuum created by the flow blockage almost instantly
Newer pumps have switches built in
Vac-Alert (mechanical)
Stingl Switch (electrical)