Owning a swimming pool is truly a luxury that not many get to enjoy, and even less have the weather to enjoy them as regularly as they would probably like. But whilst owning a swimming pool provides a wonderful degree of freedom and relaxation, it also comes with a variety of dangers that may not be overly apparent. Obviously there are the obvious safety precautions such as not allowing children near a pool unsupervised and having flotation devices on hand to aid people at risk of drowning, but when it comes to the pool itself, maintenance is key to ensuring your safety.
Tiles and grout
If you have a tiled swimming pool then being aware of chips and cracks is a must. If these are not made safe when they are noticed you are leaving all of the pool users at risk of nasty cuts. Grout erosion can allow tiles more space to become chipped and damaged, but it is the tiles themselves that pose the biggest risk as when they are chipped or cracked the edges are razor sharp and cut through skin like glass would. They can be so sharp that they will cut quickly and deeply, something that is made all the worse by being in water as you may not notice it straight away.
Infection
Pools that do not have the correct pH balance or cleaning chemicals in them can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Couple this with filters that aren’t changed frequently enough and a dip in this pool can lead to serious infection of open cuts and general illness. If you are lucky you might just have vomiting and diarrhea for a day or two, but there are far worse illnesses that can lurk in poorly maintained swimming pools.
Over chlorination
Whilst chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria and help keep us safe, it is only safe in low quantities. In fact a much higher concentration of chlorine can be fatal, but you would never get that situation in a swimming pool by mistake, instead you are far more likely to experience other fairly severe health issues as a result of being overexposed to chlorine. These can range from skin and eye irritation to respiratory problems and even cancer, so making sure whoever does the maintenance understands how the monitor the chlorine balance of the water is essential to the users safety.
These three problems are the most likely to occur from poorly maintained swimming pools, but they are by no means an exhaustive list. Where as maintenance is something that is the responsibility of the pool owner, more complex problems such as damage and old systems could well require a professional pool renovation service to remedy them. Regardless of who is responsible for the pool, you should always exercise common sense and if things don’t look or smell right, the pool has obvious signs of wear and damage or you have any other concerns whatsoever – stay safe and do not get in the water.
