Swimming pool safety management
This page explains what the person in charge of a swimming pool needs to do to comply with health and safety law.
The most important thing swimming pool operators should know is that they are legally required to protect the health and safety of workers and pool users.
A visit to a swimming pool should be an enjoyable experience, so operators need to protect pool users from real risk without wrongly restricting beneficial pool activities. Following HSE's guidance on managing risks and risk assessment is therefore important in swimming pool management.
Health and safety law for swimming pools
There are no specific health and safety laws for swimming pools. However, operators must comply with their general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the associated regulations.
Operators must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the health and safety risks to workers and users to help decide what they must do to make their pool safe.
The law does not state what safety measures an operator must put in place. Such judgements must be made by each operator, based on the particular risks in their pool.
HSE guidance
More information on the law, your duties as a swimming pool operator and conducting a risk assessment are set out in the HSE guidance Health and safety in swimming pools.
This guidance applies to pools used by the public for water-related activities, as defined in British Standard BS EN 15288–2, as Type 1, 2 or 3. The guidance may also apply in other non-conventional settings, such as to holiday lets in residential complexes. It has limited application to pools which consist of segregated areas of rivers, lakes or the sea.
However, it does not apply to swimming in open water (such as a lake or pond), which is not maintained as a swimming facility. The guidance may also apply to paddling pools, depending on the particular circumstances.
When HSE guidance applies to paddling pools
The relevance of the guidance on Health and safety in swimming pools depends on individual circumstances. For example, it will be relevant to any paddling pool which forms part of a larger swimming facility (and is therefore included in the pool safety operating procedure for the entire complex).
Where a paddling pool is free-standing (for example in a park), the general guidance will be less relevant. However, you should still read the following sections carefully:
- general management of health and safety
- the practicalities of managing health and safety
You should also read the specific advice relating to paddling pools.
When lifeguards are needed
Given the wide range of pool facilities and the ways pools are used, it is not possible to make specific recommendations for lifeguard numbers. Pool operators need to consider how many lifeguards are required or whether constant poolside supervision is required. This is done through a risk assessment, and aided by the guidelines set down in HSE's Health and safety in swimming pools.
A risk assessment may find that constant supervision is not required. In these circumstances, a member of staff will need to be 'on call' and able to respond immediately to emergencies whenever the pool is in use. It is essential that these staff are trained in pool rescue, CPR techniques and first aid.
Lifeguard training courses
HSE does not approve any lifeguard training courses. Health and safety law does not require any particular training course or qualifications for lifeguards but they must be competent to carry out their duties. This means they must have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to do the job properly.
Having a current qualification, issued by an appropriate national body, is a recognised way of demonstrating an appropriate level of competence. If pool operators can find an alternative and equally effective means to ensure the competence of their lifeguards they are free to do so.
The number of young children supervised by one adult
The law imposes no specific restrictions on the number of young children a single adult can take swimming. However, as part of their risk assessment, pool operators need to consider the number of young children (under the age of 8) who can safely be allowed into the pool during unprogrammed sessions, when under the supervision of one adult.
When making this decision, pool operators need to look at factors such as:
- the physical attributes of the pool tank (such as its size, gradient of depth)
- the pool environment (such as access routes)
- staffing levels
- where possible, the swimming capabilities of the children
Disinfection chemicals
Disinfection of swimming pools is essential for ensuring bathers are not exposed to risks from harmful micro-organisms. In properly managed swimming pools, the risk of bathers or employees being exposed to harmful levels of these chemicals or their by-products will be low.
The Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG) produce detailed guidance on swimming pool water quality and treatment. This is considered by regulators (HSE and local authorities) as the standard to be achieved in an effectively managed swimming pool.
Minimising the risks at sump outlets
In pools with only one sump outlet, there may be the risk of a pool user covering the outlet with part of their body and being held by the suction effect of the pump. In such cases, pool operators should make suitable safety modifications to their swimming pools.
A number of alternative improvements are possible, such as:
- installing a second outlet sump, located a sufficient distance away so that any lone swimmer could not cover both outlets
- providing a pressure-operated interlock switch on the pump, which will isolate the pump if a significant change in suction pressure is detected
- providing a second outlet line from a spillway or drain, which is permanently open to the suction line
In all pools, grille covers should be securely fixed across the sump outlet.