Managing health and safety in swimming pools

Transcription

1 Health ad Safety Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools HSG179 (Third editio, published 2003) You ca buy the book at ad bookshops. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools ISBN Price This is the third editio of Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools (first published as Safety i swimmig pools). The revisio brigs the guidace up to date with chages i health ad safety law ad ew developmets i relatio to equipmet, facilities ad supervisio arragemets. This publicatio provides guidace for those who have ay ivolvemet with the operatio ad maagemet of health ad safety i swimmig pools: primarily pool owers, pool operators, architects, egieers, desigers, maufacturers ad costructors. Its aim is to provide practical guidace o the risks associated with swimmig pool operatio ad the precautios which may be take to help achieve a safer eviromet for people who use swimmig pools ad employees who work at them. HSE Books Page 1 of 117

2 Health ad Safety Crow copyright 2003 First published as Safety i swimmig pools 1988 Secod editio 1999 Third editio 2003 Reprited 2007, reprited with ameds 2013 ISBN All rights reserved. No part of this publicatio may be reproduced, stored i a retrieval system, or trasmitted i ay form or by ay meas (electroic, mechaical, photocopyig, recordig or otherwise) without the prior writte permissio of the copyright ower. Applicatios for reproductio should be made i writig to: The Office of Public Sector Iformatio, Iformatio Policy Team, Kew, Richmod, Surrey TW9 4DU or licesig@opsi.gov.uk This guidace is issued by the Health ad Safety Commissio. Followig the guidace is ot compulsory ad you are free to take other actio. But if you do follow the guidace you will ormally be doig eough to comply with the law. Health ad safety ispectors seek to secure compliace with the law ad may refer to this guidace as illustratig good practice. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools was prepared joitly by the Health ad Safety Commissio ad Sport Eglad. It is available from: Sport Eglad Publicatios PO Box 7, Wetherby LS23 7LZ Telephoe: Fax: HSE Books PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Telephoe Fax: Page 2 of 117

3 Health ad Safety Cotets Foreword 4 Itroductio 5 Geeral maagemet of health ad safety 8 The practicalities of maagig health ad safety 13 Physical eviromet 19 Supervisio arragemets to safeguard pool users 53 Geeral maiteace - plat ad equipmet 74 The pool water treatmet system 82 Appedices 97 1 Membership of idepedet Workig Group chaired by HSE 98 2 Safety sigs 99 3 Swimmig pool users safety code Pool Safety Operatig Procedures (PSOP) Hire of pool to outside orgaisatios: check-list of poits for iclusio i cotracts Scottish/Natioal Vocatioal Qualificatios (S/NVQs) Addresses of relevat orgaisatios Dimesios for divig equipmet List of Sports Coucil offices Refereces ad further readig 110 Further iformatio 117 Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 3 of 117

4 Health ad Safety Foreword This is the third editio of Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools (first published as Safety i swimmig pools). It has bee revised because techology, the law, ad our geeral thikig o maagig health ad safety have all moved forward sice the secod editio. The cotiuig collaboratio betwee the Health ad Safety Commissio ad Sport Eglad has eabled a wide rage of expertise to be icluded i producig the guidace. Swimmig is a importat skill. It provides the meas for may thousads of adults ad childre to participate i a healthy ad ejoyable exercise. Although swimmig pools are safer places to swim tha ope water, deaths still occur. Each year there are approximately 10 deaths by drowig i pools. While each oe is, of course, a idividual tragedy it is importat to cosider this i the cotext of the fact that there are a estimated 350 millio visits to swimmig pools i Great Britai each year. I drawig together this guidace, the expertise of represetatives from the public ad private sector, local authorities ad related professioal bodies has bee used. Membership of the workig group is icluded i Appedix 1. I additio the group cosulted widely, icludig cosumer groups, ad the views of those cosulted are reflected i this documet. By revisig the guidace, we hope to build o the success of its predecessors, ad to use it as a catalyst for cotiued improvemets i health ad safety stadards. It takes ito accout the techological advaces i equipmet used i the sector as well as ew procedures ad stadards that have become accepted as good idustry practice. The guidace focusses o the eed for pool operators to make provisios for health ad safety based o risk, takig ito accout the circumstaces that apply to each idividual pool. It also emphasises the eed, whe addressig the hazards associated with ruig a swimmig pool, for pool operators to cosider both the pool users ad employees. Fially, although the guidace is addressed primarily at those who ru pools, the behaviour of pool users themselves is a key factor i esurig that their health ad safety are protected. I hope that pool operators ad maagers will brig our advice to the attetio of pool users, particularly those who have charge of youg childre or orgaised groups. Bill Callagha Chairma, Health ad Safety Commissio Patrick Carter Chairma Sport Eglad The Health ad Safety Commissio (HSC) ad the Health ad Safety (HSE) merged o 1 April 2008 to form a sigle atioal regulatory body. From that date, the Health ad Safety became resposible for approvig Codes of Practice, with the coset of the Secretary of State Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 4 of 117

5 Health ad Safety Itroductio 1 This booklet is a revisio of Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools, published i The revisio brigs the guidace up to date with chages i health ad safety law ad ew developmets i relatio to equipmet, facilities ad supervisio arragemets. Who the guidace is for 2 The booklet provides guidace for those who have ay ivolvemet with the operatio ad maagemet of health ad safety i swimmig pools: primarily pool owers (icludig local authority cliets), pool operators (icludig maagemet cotractors), architects, egieers, desigers, maufacturers ad costructors. Aspects of this guidace will also apply to pool hirers. Its aim is to provide guidace o the risks associated with swimmig pool operatio ad the precautios which may be take to help achieve a safer eviromet for people who use swimmig pools ad employees who work at them. 3 The guidace refers to pool operators which should be regarded as a geeric term to iclude ayoe with a resposibility for health ad safety i swimmig pools. How the guidace should be used 4 This guidace provides practical advice o how to comply with the law relatig to the maagemet of health ad safety i swimmig pools. Followig the advice i the guidace will help you prevet or reduce accidets ad icidece of ill health. You ca refer to this guidace for maagemet or techical iformatio, ad there is a sectio (startig at paragraph 314) which deals with the pool water treatmet system. Pools to which the guidace applies 5 The guidace applies to all types of pools (icludig paddlig pools) used for swimmig or leisure, except: pools desiged for medical or therapeutic purposes (while i use for such purposes); ad private swimmig pools i domestic premises while beig used solely by the ower, family ad guests. However, eve i the case of these exceptios the guidace cotais priciples which, if followed, will promote a safer eviromet. 6 The guidace has limited applicatio to pools which cosist of segregated areas of rivers, lakes or the sea. The booklet s recommedatios o safe desig, workig methods ad supervisio should be followed isofar as they are relevat. I particular, attetio should be paid to the sigpostig of hazards; supervisio of equipmet; adequacy of writte procedures, icludig emergecy procedures; ad orgaisatio ad traiig of staff. Specific recommedatios o traiig, etc, will, however, have limited applicatio i pools with uclear water ad irregular atural bottoms. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 5 of 117

6 Health ad Safety 7 The guidace applies to pool operators i pools completed ad ready for use. It is also relevat to swimmig pools that are i the process of beig desiged, costructed, refurbished, altered or improved. Risk assessmet 8 Risk assessmet is cetral to the effective maagemet of health ad safety ad features i several sectios of this guidace. It is the duty of pool operators to esure risks are adequately idetified, assessed ad cotrolled to prevet harm to employees or those affected by the work activity. Further iformatio o how to do a risk assessmet ca be foud i paragraphs Meaig of reasoably practicable 9 The term so far as is reasoably practicable appears ofte i this guidace ad meas that the degree of risk i a particular job or workplace eeds to be balaced agaist the time, trouble, cost, beefit ad physical difficulty of takig measures to avoid or reduce the risk. However, it should ot be used as a excuse to avoid takig safety measures, ad if usure you should err o the side of cautio. Status of advice 10 Where you see the word must i this guidace it meas a legal obligatio, ie you are breakig the law if you do ot comply. Terms such as should ad, eed to cosider do ot idicate a legal obligatio, but do idicate good practice. There may be other legally acceptable ways of achievig the same objective. Other terms such as you may, you are recommeded to give geeral poiters o the way a objective may be met. 11 There are refereces i this guidace to British, Europea or Iteratioal Stadards. You are ot ecessarily breakig the law if you do ot coform to a relevat stadard but you would be igorig good advice. Where a relevat stadard is more specific tha this guidace or recommeds a higher level of performace, you are advised to follow the stadard. Subjects ot covered i this guidace 12 This guidace does ot deal i detail with water quality or hygiee except isofar as these issues may also be covered uder the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act Details of where to fid iformatio o water quality ad hygiee ca be foud i paragraphs of this guidace. Fire precautios are ot dealt with; policy resposibility o this issue lies with the Home Office ad advice should be sought from the local fire authority. Eforcemet of health ad safety law 13 Uder the Health ad Safety (Eforcig Authorities) Regulatios 1998, 2 the local authority is the eforcig authority for all pools uless it is the ower ad/ or occupier who has ay extet of cotrol of the activities or the equipmet. HSE is the eforcig authority i pools occupied by local authorities, i educatioal establishmets ad at Miistry of Defece premises. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 6 of 117

7 Health ad Safety Further advice ad iformatio 14 Further advice o may of the subjects metioed i this guidace is available from the publicatios listed i the Refereces ad Further readig sectio. Advice ca also be obtaied from the home coutry Sports Coucils (Eglad, Scotlad, Wales ad Norther Irelad) o such issues as plaig, desig ad maagemet (see Appedix 9 for a list of addresses). Advice o maagemet ad operatioal issues ca also be obtaied from the orgaisatios listed i Appedix 9. HSE, or the relevat local authority, will be able to aswer equiries o the iterpretatio of health ad safety law. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 7 of 117

8 Health ad Safety Geeral maagemet of health ad safety What the law requires 15 Every pool operator is resposible for health ad safety. The Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios ad other similar legislatio place geeral obligatios o pool operators. Paragraphs deal with the geeral legislatio which all pool operators eed to be aware of. Health ad Safety at Work etc Act The Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) places duties o employers, employees ad self-employed people. It protects ot oly people at work, icludig those udertakig volutary work, but also the geeral public who may be affected by work activities. May of the requiremets i this legislatio are qualified with so far as is reasoably practicable (see paragraph 9). The geeral requiremets uder the HSW Act are that equipmet ad plat are safe, the workplace is safe, there are safe systems of work ad there is the provisio of iformatio, istructio, traiig ad supervisio eeded to esure that safety. 17 Employees must do all that is reasoably practicable to take care of their ow health ad safety ad that of others, icludig those udertakig volutary work, who may be affected by their acts or omissios at work ad they must co-operate with their employers i complyig with statutory health ad safety obligatios. Maufacturers ad those istallig equipmet have a duty uder sectio 6 of this Act to esure their products do ot cause harm ad are safe to use, icludig the provisio of istructios o use ad maiteace of equipmet provided. Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios As a pool operator, uder the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999 (MHSWR), 3 you must carry out a assessmet of the risks which may affect employees, ad others, as a result of the work activity. These requiremets also take ito accout members of the public usig the pools. You will the eed to take appropriate actio to elimiate or reduce those risks as far as is reasoably practicable. The priciples of risk assessmet ca be foud i paragraphs MHSWR 1999 also requires employers to: make arragemets for implemetig the health ad safety measures idetified to reduce the risk; appoit competet people to help them implemet the arragemets; set up emergecy procedures; provide clear iformatio ad traiig to employees; establish procedures for employees to follow if a situatio of serious or immiet dager were to arise; co-operate o health ad safety matters with other employers who share Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 8 of 117

9 Health ad Safety the same workplace ad co-ordiate a exchage of iformatio about such matters; ad cosult with employees o health ad safety matters. Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios (WHSWR) The Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992 (WHSWR) cover a wide rage of basic health, safety ad welfare issues ad apply to most workplaces. The Regulatios expad o the geeral duties uder the HSW Act (see paragraphs 16-17). 21 These Regulatios cover subjects such as: temperature; vetilatio; lightig; clealiess ad waste materials; room dimesios ad space; maiteace; floors ad traffic routes; toilet, washig, staff chagig ad clothes storage facilities; supply of fresh drikig water; ad facilities for rest ad eatig meals. Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios (PUWER) The Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios 1998 (PUWER) expad upo the geeral duties of the HSW Act ad require that work equipmet supplied to employees is suitable, used safely ad properly maitaied. Work equipmet, regardless of its age, should ot cause a risk to health ad safety. 23 PUWER makes more explicit the geeral duties already placed o employers, the self-employed ad people i cotrol to provide safe plat ad equipmet. 24 Pool operators will eed to esure that: work equipmet is suitable ad properly maitaied; their employees are properly iformed about the work equipmet icludig foreseeable abormal situatios which may arise durig its operatio; ad their employees are competet i the use of work equipmet. Costructio (Desig ad Maagemet) Regulatios (CDM) The Costructio (Desig ad Maagemet) Regulatios 2007 (CDM) apply to costructio projects (icludig, for example, refurbishmet ad demolitio). The Regulatios replace the origial 1994 Regulatios ad also the Costructio (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios The ew 2007 Regulatios require suitable maagemet arragemets to be i place for costructio work. They place duties o cliets, desigers ad cotractors, ad itroduce the post of the CDM co-ordiator appoited by the cliet for costructio projects that are otifiable uder the Regulatios. Costructio work is otifiable if it is expected to last for more tha 30 days or ivolve 500 perso-days of work. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 9 of 117

10 Health ad Safety Electricity at Work Regulatios ,8 27 The Electricity at Work Regulatios 1989 cover health ad safety duties for the safe use of electricity at work. The Regulatios require that electrical istallatios ad equipmet are properly costructed, maitaied ad fit for the purpose ad eviromet i which they are used. This is particularly importat i the humid or wet eviromets associated with swimmig pools. For further details see paragraphs Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios Maual hadlig is the trasportig or supportig of loads by had or by bodily force. 29 Pool operators will eed to cosider the risks from maual hadlig to the health ad safety of their employees. If risks exist, the Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios 1992 apply, requirig all employers to: avoid the eed for hazardous maual hadlig, as far as reasoably practicable; assess the risk of ijury from ay hazardous maual hadlig which caot be avoided; ad reduce the risk of ijury from hazardous maual hadlig, as far as reasoably practicable. 30 Pool operators are resposible for assessig ad reducig risks from maual hadlig i the workplace. A basic precautio is to provide employees with basic traiig i hadlig techiques; however, you should also cosider other more direct ways to reduce risk. 31 Employees should: follow appropriate systems of work laid dow for their safety; make proper use of equipmet provided for their safety; co-operate with their employer o health ad safety matters. 32 Whe maual hadlig is uavoidable, review the task ad thik about how good techiques ca help reduce the risk. This could iclude reorgaisatio or redesig of the task, sharig the load or usig mechaical hadlig equipmet. Cotrol of Substaces Hazardous to Health Regulatios 2002 (COSHH) (as ameded) As a pool operator you must carry out a COSHH assessmet i order to protect your workforce ad visitors agaist health risks from hazardous substaces used at work. Havig assessed the risks you will eed to decide what precautios are ecessary to prevet or cotrol exposure. You will eed to record ad moitor the procedures ad esure that the cotrol measures are used ad maitaied. You must also esure that your employees are properly iformed, traied ad supervised (see paragraphs ). Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 10 of 117

11 Health ad Safety Reportig of Ijuries, Diseases ad Dagerous Occurreces Regulatios Employers, the self-employed ad people i cotrol of premises where work is carried out, icludig pool operators, have duties uder the Reportig of Ijuries, Diseases ad Dagerous Occurreces Regulatios 1995 (RIDDOR). They must report certai work-related accidets ad cases of ill health to the appropriate health ad safety eforcig authority (see paragraph 13). Failure to do so is a crimial offece. For further details about reportig accidets, ill health or dagerous occurreces see paragraphs Health ad Safety (Safety Sigs ad Sigals) Regulatios These Regulatios require employers to provide specific sigs wheever there is a risk that has ot bee avoided or cotrolled by other meas, eg by safe systems of work. There is o eed to provide a sig if it would ot help to reduce the risk, or where the risk is ot sigificat. Pool operators will eed to take ito accout, as part of the risk assessmet, provisio of safety sigs as a effective way to help cotrol the risks, particularly i relatio to the safe use of facilities by bathers. For further details see paragraphs Divig at Work Regulatios The Divig at Work Regulatios 1997 cover all dives whe oe or more divers udertake work activities. The Regulatios apply to everyoe, from the cliet, who commissios the work, to the diver udertakig the work. Everyoe ivolved has a resposibility to esure the health ad safety of those takig part i the divig project. The Regulatios seek to cotrol, through risk assessmet, the hazards ad risks associated with divig. The employer has a resposibility, so far as is reasoably practicable, to pla ad maage the work to protect the health ad safety of everyoe takig part. Employers Liability (Compulsory Isurace) Act Pool operators are resposible for the health ad safety of their employees while they are at work. Employees may be ijured at work, or they or former employees may become ill as a result of their work. They may try to claim compesatio from their employer if they believe the employer is resposible. The Employers Liability (Compulsory Isurace) Act 1969 places a duty o employers to esure that they have a miimum level of isurace cover agaist compesatio claims for ijury or disease of their employees arisig out of their employmet. 38 Public liability isurace is differet. It covers employers for claims made agaist them by members of the public, but ot for claims made by employees. While public liability isurace is volutary, employers liability isurace is compulsory. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order replaces most fire safety legislatio ad requires that people who have some level of cotrol i premises must take reasoable steps to reduce the risk of fire ad make sure people ca escape safely if there is a fire. Pool operators, like ay other Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 11 of 117

12 Health ad Safety employer, have a duty to comply with them. Where you or aother employer do ot have cotrol over parts of the workplace, there is a resposibility o the perso who does (usually the ower or ladlord) to make sure those parts comply with the Regulatios. Health ad Safety (Eforcig Authority) Regulatios Health ad Safety (Eforcig Authority) Regulatios 1998 allocate eforcemet resposibility for the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974, betwee HSE ad local authorities. The Regulatios will reduce dual eforcemet i busiess (see paragraph 13). Cofied Spaces Regulatios These Regulatios were made uder the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act (HSW Act) 1974 ad came ito force o 28 Jauary The Regulatios apply i all premises ad work situatios i Great Britai subject to the HSW Act, with the exceptio of divig operatios ad below groud i a mie (there is specific legislatio dealig with cofied spaces i these cases). These Regulatios also exted outside Great Britai i a very limited umber of cases. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 12 of 117

13 Health ad Safety The practicalities of maagig health ad safety Priciples of risk assessmet 42 A assessmet of risk is othig more tha a careful examiatio of aspects of work that could cause harm to people, to establish whether eough precautios have bee take to prevet harm, or whether more precautios eed to be take. As part of the risk assessmet, pool operators will eed to cosider all the hazards ad risks associated with the pool. A hazard is aythig that may cause harm. A risk is a chace, great or small, that someoe will be harmed by a hazard. 43 The aim is to make sure that o oe gets hurt or becomes ill. There are five steps which pool operators eed to take to make sure a proper risk assessmet is doe: Step 1 Look for the hazards You will eed to look at what may cause harm to your employees, or other people, as a result of the work activity. Step 2 Decide who might be harmed, ad how You will eed to look at who may be affected by the work activity ad how they may be affected; this may iclude members of the public, cleaers, visitors, cotractors workig o the premises, ad maiteace persoel. Step 3 Assess the risks ad take appropriate actio If you fid a hazard which may be a risk to employees, or other people, you will eed to decide what steps have to be take to elimiate or reduce those risks as far as is reasoably practicable. What eeds to be doe depeds o whether the hazard is low risk or high risk. You ca determie this by lookig at what type of harm or ijury may arise ad how ofte it may happe. It may be possible to remove the hazard altogether or to take steps to lower the risk to a acceptable level. If there is o risk preset, the you do ot eed to take ay actio. Cofirm that you have reduced risks as far as possible by checkig your stadards agaist published guidace such as relevat HSE publicatios. Step 4 Record the fidigs If you have five or more employees i the orgaisatio, you are required by law to record the sigificat fidigs from a risk assessmet. This meas you will eed to write dow the more sigificat hazards ad record the most importat coclusios. There is o eed to show how the risk assessmet was carried out, provided you ca show that: a proper check was made; those who might be affected were cosulted; all the obvious sigificat hazards were dealt with ad accout was take of the umber of people who could be ivolved; the precautios are reasoable ad the remaiig risk is low. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 13 of 117

14 Health ad Safety Step 5 Review the assessmet from time to time ad revise it if ecessary It is importat that you check the risk assessmet from time to time, especially if there is a chage i workig procedures. You will eed to esure that the assessmet takes ito accout ew hazards which may cause harm to the health ad safety of your employees, or other people who may be affected by the chage i workig coditios. 44 HSE s publicatio Five steps to risk assessmet 17 gives further details o how do a risk assessmet ad ca be obtaied free from HSE Books (see Referece sectio). How to maage health ad safety 45 As a pool operator you may be employed by a local authority or a orgaisatio which has a corporate health ad safety policy; you should esure that you refer to it whe settig your ow policy. However, the policy which you set will eed to take accout of local circumstaces. To effectively maage health ad safety, pool operators may fid it useful to follow the five steps to health ad safety. These are as follows: Step 1 Set your policy Your health ad safety policy (see paragraph 46 o what to iclude i a health ad safety policy) should ifluece all your activities, icludig the selectio of people, equipmet ad materials, the way work is doe ad how you desig ad provide goods ad services. A writte statemet of your policy ad the orgaisatio ad arragemets for implemetig ad moitorig it, demostrate to your staff, ad ayoe else, that hazards have bee idetified ad risks assessed, elimiated or cotrolled. Step 2 Orgaise your staff To make your health ad safety policy effective, you eed to get your staff ivolved ad committed to it. This ca be achieved by assessig the skills of your staff ad providig traiig ad advisory support. You will eed to allocate resposibilities ad esure that people uderstad their resposibilities. Staff ad their represetatives will eed to be cosulted ad ivolved i plaig ad reviewig performace, writig procedures ad solvig problems. You will also eed to commuicate effectively with your staff by providig iformatio about hazards, risks ad prevetative measures ad regularly discussig health ad safety. You will eed to make your employees aware of the safety policy statemet. If the statemet is short, employees ca be give idividual copies or copies could be set electroically. If this is ot practicable, copies could be posted o otice-boards. The same distributio arragemets should the apply whe the statemet is revised. Step 3 Pla ad set stadards Plaig for health ad safety ivolves settig objectives, idetifyig hazards, assessig risks ad implemetig stadards of performace. You should put your plas i writig. Stadards help to build a positive culture ad cotrol risks. They should idetify who does what, whe, ad the result expected. Revisio of the safety policy statemet will eed to take place as ad whe ecessary. There are may reasos why a revisio may be ecessary, for example whe ew plat or ew hazards are itroduced to the workplace; orgaisatioal chage; chages of persoel; or i light of experiece, perhaps after moitorig. Depedig o the extet of the revisio, a Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 14 of 117

15 Health ad Safety amedmet slip, a ameded page or a whole revised statemet may be issued. Step 4 Measure your performace You will eed to measure your health ad safety performace. Active moitorig, before thigs go wrog, ivolves regular ispectio ad recordig of the ispectios ad checkig to esure the stadards are beig implemeted ad maagemet cotrols are workig. Reactive moitorig, after thigs have goe wrog, ivolves learig from your mistakes. You eed to esure iformatio from active ad reactive moitorig is used to idetify situatios that create risks, ad the do somethig about them. Step 5 Lear from experiece: audit ad review Moitorig provides the iformatio to eable you to review activities ad decide how to improve performace. Audits complemet moitorig activities by lookig to see if your policy, orgaisatio ad systems are actually achievig the right results. Combie the results from measurig performace with iformatio from audits to improve your approach to health ad safety maagemet. You will the eed to review the effectiveess of your health ad safety policy. What should be icluded i a safety policy statemet? 46 If, as a orgaisatio, you have five or more employees, you must, by law, have a writte statemet of your health ad safety policy. The statemet should set out your geeral policy for protectig the health ad safety of your employees at work ad should iclude the orgaisatio ad arragemets for puttig that policy ito practice. The legth ad complexity will vary accordig to the circumstaces of the particular pool but should iclude safe operatig procedures ad a emergecy actio pla. The statemet should iclude: the ames of key idividuals ad their resposibilities for health ad safety; a list of the hazards ad the safe systems of work/precautios for avoidig them; arragemets for dealig with ijury, fire ad other emergecies; arragemets for providig the istructio, traiig ad supervisio to esure that safe systems of work are always adopted ad adhered to; arragemets to esure that employees follow the rules ad precautios. Further iformatio o writig a policy statemet is available from HSE Books. Pool safety operatig procedures 47 A writte Pool Safety Operatig Procedure (PSOP) cosists of the Normal Operatig Pla (NOP) ad the Emergecy Actio Pla (EAP) for the pool, chagig facilities ad associated plat ad equipmet. The plas ca be kept as writte documets or stored electroically, provided that staff have access to them ad that they are available for ispectio by your eforcig authority, if required. 48 The NOP should set out the way a pool operates o a daily basis. It should iclude details of the layout, equipmet, maer of use, user group characteristics ad ay hazards or activity-related risks. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 15 of 117

16 Health ad Safety 49 The EAP should give specific istructios o the actio to be take, by all staff, i the evet of ay emergecy. 50 Staff must ot oly be aware of the PSOP, the NOP ad the EAP but should be istructed ad traied to work i accordace with the provisios therei. 51 Where a pool is hired by orgaisatios, such as swimmig clubs, the relevat sectios of the pla must be made kow to the orgaisatio ad, where ecessary, traiig give ad regular checks made to esure compliace. Details of documetatio, traiig provided ad checks should be recorded (see Appedix 5 for more details). 52 All parts of the PSOP should be regularly reviewed ad revised if ecessary, particularly with the istallatio of ew equipmet or after a major icidet, eg a accidet which requires hospitalisatio of the ijured perso or a eardrowig. Staff ad outside orgaisatios should be made aware whe a revisio has take place. A detailed checklist outliig the key features of both the NOP ad the EAP is icluded at Appedix Where the pool is a acillary part of a larger complex (eg a hotel, hospital or school), a seior member of maagemet should be clearly desigated as resposible for safe pool operatio. Reportig accidets 54 All employers, the self-employed ad people i cotrol of work premises have duties uder the Reportig of Ijuries, Diseases ad Dagerous Occurreces Regulatios 1995 (RIDDOR). They must report certai work-related ijuries, cases of ill health ad dagerous occurreces. HSE will pass details to the relevat eforcig authority. RIDDOR appies to all work activities but ot all icidets are reportable. 55 Further iformatio about what must be reported ad how to report it ca be foud at or i the leaflet Reportig accidets ad icidets at work (INDG453) 56 Major ijury is defied i RIDDOR ad icludes ijuries such as: certai fractures ad dislocatios; ucosciousess; admittace to hospital for more tha 24 hours; ad acute illess caused by absorptio of ay substace. Dagerous occurreces are serious accidets which do ot lead to a reportable ijury. They iclude the failure of lifts ad liftig equipmet; electrical short circuit or overload causig fire or explosio; ad the release of ay substace with the potetial to damage health. 57 Pool operators may fid it a useful practice to record ad moitor all accidets ad icidets, particularly successful rescues. This will help: to esure effective risk assessmet; to idetify possible problem areas; ad i possible cases of civil legal actio at a later date. Providig first aid 58 The MHSWR 1999 require employers to assess risks to the health ad safety both of employees ad of persos ot employed by them, icludig members of the public, i order to idetify the measures they eed to take to comply Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 16 of 117

17 Health ad Safety with ay health ad safety requiremets, ad to make arragemets to esure these measures are effectively maaged. Health ad safety requiremets i respect of employees are ofte specified i regulatios - for example the Health ad Safety (First Aid) Regulatios place a requiremet o employers to provide first aid for their employees while they are at work. Requiremets i respect of other people are covered by the geeral duty i sectio 3 of the HSW Act 1974 to esure the health ad safety of oemployees. 59 Pool operators will eed to decide, as part of the risk assessmet, the first aid provisio eeded. Cosideratio eeds to be give to: the eeds of staff ad pool users; the type, quatity ad locatio of equipmet; the umbers of suitably qualified staff. 60 Pool operators have a duty uder the Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 towards those usig their pool, therefore the eeds of pool users must be cosidered as part of the risk assessmet i relatio to first aid provisio. Additioal iformatio o the provisio of first aid ca be obtaied from the HSE website. 61 Specialised first aid equipmet ad persoal protective equipmet (PPE) should be properly stored. Specialised equipmet will eed to be stored ear the first aid box while PPE will eed to be stored close to where it is required. The equipmet will eed to be regularly checked to esure it remais i good coditio. 62 Lifeguards should use a face mask to separate themselves from direct cotact with the casualty whe carryig out expired air resuscitatio. All lifeguards should be traied i the use of such face masks. The air supplied to casualties ca be eriched by the supply of oxyge through suitable face masks. This icreases the prospects of successful resuscitatio ad is also a useful way of reducig the risks preseted by blood bor viruses. 63 Apart from face masks ad oxyge isufflatio devices, it is recommeded that mechaical resuscitatio equipmet should ot be kept at the poolside. Mechaical resuscitatio equipmet should oly be used by traied paramedic or medical staff. Safety sigs 64 The Health ad Safety (Safety Sigs ad Sigals) Regulatios 1996 cover prohibitio, madatory warig ad emergecy escape or first aid sigs. Acoustic sigals are also safety sigs uder these Regulatios ad may be eeded, for example, with wave machies. 65 Prohibitio sigs (as used for o divig ) should be a white circle with red edgig ad diagoal lie. The warig sigs eed to be triagular with black edgig ad a yellow backgroud, ad should cotai a black pictogram idicatig the dager. Examples of suitable sigs are cotaied i the Regulatios, icludig the pictogram for geeral dager which cosists of a large exclamatio mark. Pool operators are free to desig or choose suitable pictograms, icludig the use of composite sigs, which will help maitai a safe pool eviromet. Sigs may be particularly importat where: Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 17 of 117

18 Health ad Safety there are ay sudde chages i depth ad it is ecessary to clearly mark the depth of water, especially at shallow ad deep eds; it is ecessary to show areas where it is usafe to swim, or to dive (ad idicatig ay sudde chages i depth which could pose a hazard); there are slippery surfaces; it is ecessary to provide istructios o the safe use of the pool ad its equipmet. 66 Pool operators will eed to: maitai ay safety sig which is provided; esure that sigs are located i appropriate positios ad uobstructed, eg by equipmet/plat, etc; explai the sigs to their employees, ad tell them what they eed to do whe they see a safety sig, particularly i relatio to bathers; maitai the depth of water i accordace with the iformatio displayed. 67 Leadig sig-makers will stock a selectio of sigs, icludig safety sigs. See Appedix 2 for examples of suitable sigs to use i swimmig pools. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 18 of 117

19 Health ad Safety Physical eviromet Itroductio 68 The effective maagemet of health ad safety i ay swimmig pool starts with careful desig. All of those ivolved i desigig ew pools or upgradig existig oes will eed to give the highest priority to esurig that they provide bathers ad staff with a facility that is safe. Three requiremets eed to be met i order to achieve this: the layout of the pool hall, ad the pool tak (icludig its dimesios, profile ad ay water features), should be desiged so as to make the safe use ad supervisio of the pool easy to achieve without complex or costly maagemet arragemets; the layout of the acillary areas, icludig the chagig, clothes storage, shower ad toilet areas, should be similarly desiged for safe use; the structural elemets, materials, fiishes ad details which are used i the costructio of these areas, icludig the pool hall eclosure, tak ad equipmet, ad the way they are assembled should be those which are most appropriate to achievig a safe-to-use physical eviromet. 69 There are specific sources of iformatio from which the techical desig ad plaig stadards that are recommeded i the desig of swimmig pools ca be obtaied. Everyoe who is ivolved i the process of specifyig, desigig ad costructig pools should be familiar with these desig ad plaig stadards ad should esure that they are give careful cosideratio i all pool projects. The mai sources of published techical guidace are available i Appedix It is ot the purpose of this guide to repeat all of the techical advice outlied i paragraph 69. But it is importat to draw the attetio of all of those ivolved i the desig process to the implicatios of their work for the pool operator. What might be thought a small chage i the layout of the pool or i the fiishes specified could have a sigificat impact o the ability of the pool to be used safely. If that chage is ill-cosidered ad creates a serious desig flaw, the result might be a icrease i accidets. More likely it will be a icrease i the cost of operatig the pool (perhaps through the employmet of additioal staff) i order to compesate for the resultig problems. 71 Oe way of aticipatig the maagemet cosequeces of desig decisios is to iclude a experieced facility maager o the desig team. Although it may ot be possible to iclude the perso who will ultimately maage the facility, it should ot be too difficult to obtai the services of someoe from withi the cliet orgaisatio, or who is maagig a similar facility elsewhere, to give advice ad guidace durig the various developmet stages of the project. 72 Where a ew pool is beig desiged or major improvemets/additios are beig made to a existig pool, the mai factors affectig safety which should be cosidered are set out i paragraphs ad Table 1. It must be reiterated that the techical documets referred to i paragraph 69 will provide a greater level of detail, ad should be referred to directly. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 19 of 117

20 Health ad Safety Pool tak Pool tak profile 73 It is recommeded that all pool profiles are based o a umber of importat safety priciples: abrupt chages i depth should be avoided i water less tha 1.5 m i depth; steep gradiets should be avoided - a maximum gradiet of 1 i 15 is recommeded for water depths up to 1.5 m; chages i depth should be clearly idetified by the use of colourcotrasted materials or pattered fiishes so as to idicate to bathers whe they are proceedig to water of a differet depth. Where colour is used, this should ot reduce the visibility of a body lyig o the pool bottom; a miimum water depth of 1 m is recommeded for larger pools used for traiig ad/or competitio. For small commuity pools without a separate learer pool, a depth of 900 mm is recommeded because this is more appropriate to youg childre ad for teachig purposes. 74 The itroductio of a movable floor(s)/bulkhead(s) will affect the pool tak profile ad will create a wider rage of differet profiles. Care should be take to esure o additioal hazards are created. The overall profile should still meet the above priciples ad where this is impractical, or caot be achieved, optios for cotrollig ay potetial hazards eed to be cosidered. Pool tak edge 75 The pool tak edge should be colour-cotrasted with the pool water so as to reder it clearly visible to bathers i the water ad o the pool surroud. This is particularly importat for deck-level pools where the pool edge may be partially submerged. 76 Fixed raised pool eds are recommeded for mai pools with deck-level edge chaels, where a pool is used predomiatly for traiig ad/or racig. The raised eds help the swimmer to easily idetify the ed walls of the tak. 77 I a leisure pool where the pool tak bottom slopes getly from a beach area to deeper water, there is o eed to highlight the water s edge providig there are o upstads or steps betwee the pool ad its surrouds. Pool tak detailig 78 It is recommeded that the detailed desig of the pool tak should esure that: the pool tak should have o sharp edges or projectios that could cause ijury to bathers, especially below the water level. Careful cosideratio will eed to be give to the desig of recesses, ledges, or rails so as to esure that they are ot a hazard; wave machie opeigs, sumps, or ilets ad outlets of the pool water circulatio system should have suitable protective covers or grilles. They should be desiged to prevet limbs ad figers gettig trapped. Udue suctio should ot be created, which could result i a body beig held agaist a grille, ad there should be o exposed sharp edges. This is particularly importat i areas of movig water; there should be at least two outlets per suctio lie at a sufficiet distace apart to prevet a body beig draw or trapped by two suctio lie outlets. The amout of suctio produced at ay sigle outlet positio Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 20 of 117

21 Health ad Safety should ot be sufficiet to result i a body beig draw towards it ad held i positio or etagle hair; where hadrails are provided, they should be recessed ito the pool tak i such a way that it is ot possible for limbs to become trapped betwee the grab-rail ad the rear wall of the recess or the tak wall; if a restig ledge is to be provided this should be recessed ito the pool wall. If, for some reaso, this is ot possible, the ledge should be colour-cotrasted ad warig sigs displayed to alert bathers, who are eterig the water, to its presece. Pool tak bottom 79 A slip-resistat ad o-abrasive fiish should be provided i the followig areas: o the ed walls of the pool as a turig pad to aid tumble turs or for swimmers startig backstroke evets; i leisure pools o the beach area ad other shallow water areas where bathers may become ubalaced whe a wave machie or other feature is operatig. 80 If racig lies are ot to be icluded the a lie ruig alog the cetre of the pool will assist bathers to determie sudde chages i water depth. The ability to see the bottom of the pool clearly is essetial to effective lifeguardig. Pool floor patters which would make it more difficult to recogise a body at the bottom of the pool should ot be used. Access to the pool ad the pool hall Circulatio i wet areas ad aroud the pool 81 Abrupt chages i floor level, icludig steps, should be avoided i wet areas wherever possible, icludig chagig rooms, shower areas, toilets ad o the pool surroud. 82 Access to the pool hall from chagig rooms or pre-swim shower areas should preset the bather with water less tha 1.2 m i depth. Other features which affect desig, such as the locatio of access stairs to water slides, should avoid the possibility of bathers queuig ear deeper water without a protective barrier. Ramps may be provided to give people with disabilities easier access to the pool. If a ramp is provided i a mai pool, it should ot protrude ito the bathig/swimmig area. Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 21 of 117

22 Health ad Safety Figure 1 Good plaig ad circulatio ca ease maagemet problems ad ehace safety. The diagram i Figure 1 illustrates a suggested relatioship betwee the mai areas of the buildig. Note particularly that: (i) (ii) access from the chagig/pre-clease area should preferably ot be at a poit o the pool surroud adjacet to deep water; storage areas for chemicals should be away from public areas ad accessible directly from outside. 83 Where a freeboard rises substatially above 380 mm, cosideratio should be give to the eed for a protective barrier at the pool edge. 84 The pool surrouds ad other circulatio areas should be desiged so as to esure the free flow of bathers ad the avoidace of cogestio. A miimum surroud width of 2 m is recommeded, but it may be possible for a arrower width to be used safely i some circumstaces. The required width should be determied by referece to: how the pool will be used - for istace, whether it will be used for traiig or competitio; Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 22 of 117

23 Health ad Safety where people will circulate, takig ito cosideratio etry/exit from chagig areas ad the pool tak, queues for water features, fire escapes ad ay other areas where there is the potetial for cogestio. I additio, pool operators eed to cosider what the maximum umber of bathers usig the pool surroud is likely to be at ay oe time; this should also take ito accout use by people i wheelchairs. Access to the pool tak 85 Access to a pool tak may be provided by built-i steps or ladders accordig to the type of pool. These should provide easy ad safe etry to, ad exit from, the water. Fewer etry poits may be eeded where the pool edge is of deck-level type sice may bathers fid it easier to eter ad leave this type of pool directly from the poolside. 86 Etry steps ad ladders should ot iterfere with the use of the pool for competitio or traiig ad should be recessed so as ot to disrupt or edager swimmers. The most appropriate arragemets for access are suggested as follows: for mai pools, by meas of a recessed ladder at each ed of the pool tak i each side wall, approximately 1 m from the pool tak ed wall. Additioal steps at the mid-poit of the tak could also be cosidered; for learer pools, by meas of steps ruig alog part of the pool. I irregular-shaped pools these ca be desiged to follow the shape of the tak. Itermediate hadrails should be provided; for leisure pools with high freeboards, recessed steps allowig etry ad exit from all water areas should ormally be located ot more tha 15 m apart; for splashdow pools, the exit steps should be at the opposite ed to the slide exit poit. Desig of steps ad ladders 87 Hadrails, steps ad ladders providig access to the pool: must be of sufficiet stregth ad firmly fixed to the surroud ad tak walls; should be desiged to esure that figer, limb ad head traps are ot created, either betwee the treads or the tak walls, or betwee the grab-rails ad the tak walls; should be desiged with their likely user i mid. Steps providig access to learer pools or shallow water should have a shallow riser (betwee 150 mm ad 160 mm) ad be wide eough (300 mm miimum) to allow easy use by childre or a adult carryig a child. The leadig edge of each step should be colour-cotrasted for icreased visibility from both i ad out of the water; should have treads which are slip-resistat ad have o sharp edges; should be desiged givig cosideratio to the ease of access to ad exit from the pool by users with restricted mobility or those with disabilities. Desig of ramps 88 Ramps providig access to the pool: should have a gradiet that does ot exceed 1 i 15; should have a clear width of 1 m; should have a slip-resistat surface; should have hadrails o both sides of the ramp; Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 23 of 117

24 Health ad Safety should have sufficiet space at the bottom ad top of the ramp for maoeuvrig a wheelchair; should ot, if provided i a mai pool, protrude ito the competitive area. Floors ad fiishes Slip resistace 89 Slip ad trip hazards ca be reduced by good desig. Surface roughess, moisture displacemet, the profile ad surface patter of the fiish ad footgrip, all affect slip resistace. The slip resistace of ay give surface will dimiish if the gradiet becomes steeper tha 1 i 30 or is less tha 1 i 60 (because such a shallow gradiet is ot sufficiet to esure that moisture drais away). Where falls outside the recommeded rage have to be specified, fiishes should have a particularly high slip resistace. Floor fiishes with differet slip-resistace characteristics should ot ormally be specified i the same area. 90 The ormal recommeded rage for the fall i wet areas is betwee 1 i 35 ad 1 i 60. Whe combied with a slip-resistat fiish such as a 25-stud ceramic tile, this should create a satisfactory surface. Movemet joits 91 Where movemet joits are provided i order to meet the requiremets of BS 5385: Part (ameded 1992), 19 the compoud used should be as hard as possible so as to reduce the likelihood that it ca be pulled out of the joit. Draiage gullies 92 Floor gullies, gutters ad valleys should ot costitute a trippig hazard, ad the draiage outlet should have o sharp edges. They should also be easy to maitai ad clea. Walls Fiishes 93 Wall fiishes to circulatio areas should be smooth for a height of 2 m miimum so as ot to preset a hazard to bathers movig aroud. Ay projectig piers or colums should be provided with a rouded or bull-osed edge. Cosideratio should be give to the safety implicatios of rocks, platig features ad structures provided close to walkways. Glazig 94 It is essetial that ay glazig used i the pool area is of the appropriate specificatio to esure that it ca withstad body impact (BS 6262: Part ). 20 If the pool is used, for example for water polo, widows will eed protectio agaist ball impact, for istace through the use of impact-resistat tougheed glass or polycarboate sheetig or ettig. Cosideratio will eed to be give to ways of reducig the amout of glare caused by the glazig which could affect the view of lifeguards ad pool users. Ceiligs 95 The costructioal desig of ceiligs ad the roof deck over wet areas should take ito accout the eed to avoid codesatio, which ca affect Maagig health ad safety i swimmig pools Page 24 of 117