How to Avoid Pool Chemical Injuries

Unfortunately for many swimming pool enthusiasts, recreational swimming pools can be fraught with danger. And what is more, the danger comes from the very items we use to keep our swimming pools "safe".

According to The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 1.5% of the swimming population received emergency medial treatment for injuries from pool chemicals.

The two most common injuries according to the data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were caused by inhalation and splashing of pool chemical.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report' noted that approximately 38% of pool chemical related injuries occur when individuals inhale toxic pool chemical "when opening pool chemical containers, attempting to pre-dissolve pool chemicals, or handling chemicals."

The second most common type of injury, noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is eye injury which results from pool chemicals splashing. This also commonly occurs "when opening pool chemical containers, attempting to pre-dissolve pool chemicals, or handling chemicals."

These dangerous pool chemicals, however, are essential for protecting swimmers from recreational water illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recreational water illnesses are "spread by swallowing, inhaling vapors, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, water parks, spas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans".

"Pool chemicals make the water we swim in safer by protecting us from germs, but these same chemicals can also cause injuries if they are not properly handled," said Michele Hlavsa, the study′s lead author and epidemiologist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To ensure a summer free of pool chemical related injuries, as well as avoiding recreational water illnesses, swimming pool enthusiasts should observe the following guidelines:

Secure your pool chemicals

By locking your pool chemical in a secure place, you reduce the risk that children and animals will gain access to toxic acid and chlorine based pool products.

Read product names and manufacturer directions on all pool chemicals.

Everyone makes mistakes. Further, mistakes are most often made when we are over-confident in what we are doing. Therefore, it is vitally important that you read the labels of your pool chemical products carefully before each application. Mixing different chlorine products or chlorine and acid products together can result in the release of toxic fumes.

Use protective gear.

Using protective goggles and gloves when handling chemical pool products might not make you feel like the coolest pool-side denizen, but it sure beats being the most stylish person in the emergency room.

Pool Chemical Injuries Send Thousands to ER Each Year, cdc.gov

Pool Chemical--Associated Health Events in Public and Residential Settings --- United States, 1983--2007, cdc.gov