Dangers Of Swimming Pool Chemicals
Treating swimming pool water is essential in order to make certain that the water is clean and safe for bathing. Untreated water can result in disease producing microorganisms causing nasty and often dangerous infections.
Pool water gets contaminated from a number of sources, including the bathers who use the pool. It is vitally important that swimming pool water is regularly tested and treated to ensure that it is safe for bathing. Unfortunately the water treatment chemicals that are used to treat pools present a few hazards of their own.
There are a number of well documented cases of incidents involving swimming pool chemicals. There have been a number of cases of fire, smoke and vapours created as a result of swimming pool chemicals becoming mixed. There have even been cases of explosions caused by incorrect disposal of pool chemicals and there are numerous cases of personal injury caused by pool chemicals.
People have been hurt by inhaling fumes when they have opened a pool chemical container. Another common cause of injury has been when people have attempted to pre-dissolve the chemicals in a small amount of water. One of the most common causes of injury occurs as a result of people splashing themselves or having chemicals splash into their eyes.
While pool chemicals perform an important function in making swimming pool water safe to use they are clearly hazardous to handle. And they must be applied in the correct dose to ensure that bathers are not injured.
Some pool chemicals are very volatile and highly reactive, capable of generating very high temperatures and toxic, hazardous fumes. Reactivity can be triggered by wetting the chemicals or mixing with other pool chemicals. Some are even time sensitive and can become reactive simply due to their age.
Under normal conditions most swimming pool chemicals are intended to be added to very large quantities of water. If a small amount of water gets mixed with some pool chemicals an unwanted reaction can occur resulting in heat and the release of very toxic vapours. Even a small amount of water can cause a very serious reaction. This is why it is imperative that swimming pool chemicals are stored carefully.
Another common circumstance in which pool chemicals can become hazardous is when they are mixed. Most swimming pool chemicals are actually incompatible with one another. Mixing incompatible chemicals will potentially result in a reaction that can produce high temperatures that can even ignite combustible materials. Mixing problems of this type have even occurred when new chemicals are mixed with old of exactly the same type.
Clearly the handling and use of swimming pool chemicals needs to be treated with caution. There has been an explosion in the installation of easy set above ground swimming pools in gardens and yards. This means that many people are coming into contact with pool chemicals for the first time when they treat the water in their new Intex pools. If you are a new pool owner with no experience in handling and using swimming pool water treatment chemicals it is recommended that you take some advice from professionals who will guide you in the choice of appropriate chemicals, how to flush your pool pump and filtration system and and how to safely treat your pool water.
Manual Handling Assessments
Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, employers must as far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for their employees to undertake any manual handling operation which could put them at risk of an injury or ill-health. The first objective must always be to try and avoid the lifting task, but in the majority of cases this will not be possible. Employers must then carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to establish what measures they must take to avoid such risks.
The manual handling risk assessment is slightly different to traditional risk assessment in that it should be structured so that it takes into account the factors that are mentioned in Schedule 1 of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations. These factors are the task, the load, the working environment, the individual’s capabilities and any other factors such as personal protective clothing.
The task must look at the movements made by the employee asking such questions as does it involve holding the load at an awkward distance? Is there excessive stooping or twisting? When looking at the load the employer must assess whether the load is heavy, bulky or unwieldy, in addition does it have any sharp corners or properties that make it hazardous, such as being hot? The working environment is important because issues such as space constraints and unsuitable flooring can severely hamper an employee performing a lift, extremes or hot or cold can also effect employee’s abilities to lift. With regard to the individuals ability employers must consider issues such as whether the lift requires any exceptional strength or capabilities to lift. Personal protective equipment may be a factor if the load has any inherently dangerous properties or it may also hinder a correct lift if an individual is unable to achieve a flexible position when lifting.
Manual Handling
Accidents caused by or involving manual handling activities account for almost a third of those reported to the enforcing authorities. The cost to industry in terms of compensation increased insurance premiums and lost time is huge. Accidents from manual handling occur in all occupational groups and work areas, although the highest incidence rate of injury tends to be amongst those employed in the health profession.
Under the Manual Handling operations Regulations Employers have a duty so far as is reasonably practicable to avoid the need for employees to carry out manual handling asks which could involve a risk of injury.
The hierarchy of control that employers must observe, involves firstly establishing whether the manual handling operation can be avoided, if not possible to do this then a risk assessment must be carried out and a decision made as to what measures can be introduced to reduce the potential for injury. The risk of injury must be reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
It is also worth noting that employees have duties under the regulations to make full and proper use of the systems provided by their employer to comply with the regulations.