(a) Operation and management.

1. (1)

   1. (A) The pool or other related facility shall be maintained under the supervision and direction of a properly trained operator on staff, or on call, who shall be responsible for:

(i) Promoting good sanitation and safety;

1. (ii) The proper maintenance of the facility; and

   1. (iii) All physical and mechanical equipment and records.
   2. (B) It is recommended that the operator shall have successfully completed a swimming pool operator course and have current certification recognized by the Department of Health.

2. (2) Recommended courses include:

   1. (A) National Swimming Pool Foundation Certified Pool Operator (CPO) course;
   2. (B) Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) pool certification courses;
   3. (C) National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) pool certification courses; and

   4. (D) Other courses or curriculum (evaluated on a case-by-case basis) which provide technical training in pool/spa:

      1. (i) Water chemistry;
      2. (ii) Maintenance; and
      3. (iii) Safety.

(b) Lifeguards.

1. (1) Lifeguards. Lifeguards shall be present in accordance with the following: All Class A pools and any pool that is opened to the general public.

2. (2) Number of lifeguards.

   1. (A) A minimum of one (1) lifeguard shall be provided for each two thousand square feet (2,000 sq. ft.) of water surface.
   2. (B) One (1) additional lifeguard shall be provided for each additional two thousand square feet (2,000 sq. ft.) of water surface, or fraction thereof equal to or greater than one thousand square feet (1,000 sq. ft.).

3. (3) Lifeguard chairs.

   1. (A) One (1) lifeguard chair shall be provided for each lifeguard as required by this part.
   2. (B) The lifeguard chair or chairs shall be elevated and strategically located to provide adequate coverage of all areas of the pool.

   3. (C) This does not preclude the use of a lifeguard to walk the pool area or be stationed in the shallow areas of the pool.

      1. (c) General safety.

4. (1)

   1. (A) No broken bottles, cans, glass, sharp objects, or any other debris which might cause injury or accidents shall be in the pool.
   2. (B) Glass bottles are prohibited in the pool area.
   3. (C) No operational activities or conditions of facilities which are likely to cause illness or injury shall be allowed to exist.
   4. (D) Food and/or drinks are prohibited in the pool/spa water.
   5. (E) Steps, benches, and ladders as specified in 20 CAR § 136-107(i) shall be provided.
5. (2) Area lighting as specified in 20 CAR §§ 136-107(g), 136-117(e), and 136-118(c) shall be provided.
6. (3) A recommended list of pool rules is located in Appendix C.
7. (4) No diving board, tower, or platform greater than ten feet (10’) above the water level shall be permitted in any public pool, except by express permission of the Secretary of the Department of Health.

8. (5)

   1. (A) Main drain grates, antientrapment covers, and vacuum-fitting covers shall be in place and in good condition whenever the pool/spa is in use.

   2. (B) Missing or damaged covers shall constitute grounds for immediate closure.

      1. (d) Prevention of unauthorized entry.

9. (1) General.

   1. (A) Provisions must be made to exclude unauthorized entry to the facility.
   2. (B) The barrier may be any fence, wall, or structure which prevents entry except through self-closing, self-latching, and lockable gates or doors.
   3. (C) The barrier shall surround all four (4) sides of the pool/spa and not prevent visual observation of the pool.
   4. (D) In any new construction of an outside pool or spa, an adjacent building (clubhouse, locker room, etc.) may only serve as one (1) barrier side.
   5. (E) In existing construction, each entry from any adjacent building to the pool area must contain either an alarm on the door, cardkey access to pool deck, install fencing between building structure and pool, or other means which may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
   6. (F) Shrubbery shall not constitute an acceptable barrier.

10. (2) Barrier design.

    1. (A) The barrier shall not be less than four feet (4’) in height.
    2. (B) The topography outside the barrier shall be considered during the construction phase to ensure the barrier will provide a minimum four-foot barrier.
    3. (C) Barriers shall not have open spaces greater than four inches (4”) horizontally.
    4. (D) There shall not be more than four inches (4”) of space between the bottom of the barrier and the ground’s surface or the pool deck.
    5. (E) Any new fence/barrier construction or renovation shall comply with the design criteria set forth in this section.

11. (3) Multiple facilities.

    1. (A) Where a pool and a wading pool are located within a common pool area, separate fencing which meets the above criteria is required for the wading pool.
    2. (B) Where other multiple facilities are located within a common pool area (i.e., pool and spa) provisions shall be made to prevent access to any pool or spa, which is closed for maintenance, repair, or as the result of noncompliance.
    3. (C) Locking spa covers and portable fencing which meet the above criteria are acceptable options for closure.
    4. (D) Floating spa covers are not acceptable.
    5. (E) Signs shall be posted indicating which facility is closed.
    6. (F) The need for separate fencing for water recreation attractions, such as water theme parks, shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

12. (4) Indoor pools/spas.

    1. (A) The area must be secured by self-closing doors for dedicated pool/spa rooms or by barriers as required above, wherever the pool/spa are located where guest rooms or lobbies open onto the pool area.
    2. (B) Some means of access control (such as room key or card) should be provided to prevent entry by unattended children.

13. (5) Water slides.

    1. (A) The entire water slide area including the plunge pool, pool deck, the slide, and the walk area to the slide, shall be fenced to prevent access when the slide is not in operation.
    2. (B) The department may approve alternative enclosure materials and methods when such materials and methods are found to be equivalent to those described above.

(e) Chemical storage and handling.

1. (1) Chemicals shall be:

   1. (A) Kept in the original containers; and
   2. (B) Used and stored in accordance with label instructions.
2. (2) All rooms used for storage of pool chemicals shall be plainly marked by any combination of words, pictures, or symbols.

(g) Accident report.

1. (1) The operator of any pool or other related facility shall report any drowning or other death or serious injury occurring on the premises, within seventy-two (72) hours of the occurrence.
2. (2) A written report shall be submitted to the department on forms provided by the department.

(h) Life-saving equipment and safety equipment.

1. (1) Required equipment.

   1. (A) Readily accessible and conspicuously mounted lifesaving equipment shall be provided at all swimming pools.

   2. (B) One (1) unit of lifesaving equipment shall consist of the following:

      1. (i) One (1) shepherd’s crook and pole (recommended by the department); and
      2. (ii) One (1) ring buoy or similar flotation device such as an American Red Cross-approved rescue tube.

   3. (C)

      1. (i) One (1) unit of life saving equipment shall be required for each two thousand square feet (2,000 sq. ft.) of water surface or a fraction thereof.
      2. (ii) A minimum of one (1) ring buoy or similar flotation device shall be provided for spas.
      3. (iii) For multiple facilities, common equipment may be used in quantity based on the square footage requirement for total water surface area of the facilities.
      4. (iv) It is recommended that instructions for proper usage of life saving equipment be posted.

2. (2) Lifeline.

   1. (A)

      1. (i) All pools in which the maximum pool depth exceeds five feet six inches (5’6”), shall install a lifeline located at or before the five feet (5’) depth area or areas separating the shallow area or areas and the deep area or areas.
      2. (ii) Wave type pools shall be exempt from this requirement.

   2. (B)

      1. (i) Pools which provide lane swimming may remove a lifeline during periods of lap swimming or routine maintenance.
      2. (ii) The lifeline shall be replaced following any maintenance activities or lap swimming to ensure safety for recreational swimming.
      3. (iii) The lifeline shall be maintained in good condition.
      4. (iv) Connections for lifeline shall be recessed in the walls at appropriate locations, and in a manner which presents no hazard to swimmers.
      5. (i) First aid equipment. Each pool and other related facility shall have basic first aid equipment available to care for minor injuries.

(j) Electrical requirements.

1. (1) Wiring and grounding for lights and all electrical power for pool equipment must conform to the codes of the current edition of the National Fire Protection Association National Electric Code.
2. (2) Ground fault protection shall be provided on all electrical circuits within the pool area.

3. (3) Junction boxes must:

   1. (A) Be above the pool water level; and
   2. (B) Not be a trip hazard.

(k) Spa timers and emergency shut-off switch.

1. (1) A maximum setting of fifteen (15) minutes for the timer to activate the jet system shall be:

   1. (A) Installed on all new or remodeled spa installations; and
   2. (B) Located at a distance that would require the bather to exit the spa to restart.

2. (2) An emergency shut-off switch shall also be required for all new or renovated spas and shall be conspicuously placed and accessible.

   1. (l) Signs and safety markings.
3. (1) All signs and depth markers must be clearly readable at all times.

4. (2) No diving.

   1. (A) This sign shall be displayed in conspicuous locations at all pools not meeting the minimum requirements for diving i.e., less than five and one-half feet (5 1/2') deep.
   2. (B) The sign shall read “NO DIVING” with minimum three-inch lettering.
   3. (C) “NO DIVING” tiles placed conspicuously on the deck shall meet this requirement.

5. (3) Warning – No lifeguard on duty.

   1. (A) This sign shall be posted at pools and other related facilities where lifeguard service is not required and not provided.
   2. (B) The sign shall be in clearly legible letters at least three inches (3”) high.
   3. (C) The sign shall also state children should not use the pool without an adult in attendance.

6. (4) Spa warning sign.

   1. (A) On a warning sign, precautions for spa patrons shall be posted.
   2. (B) The following language is recommended: CAUTION Elderly persons and those suffering from heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure should consult a physician before using the spa pool. No person suffering from a communicable disease, transmissible via water, shall use the spa pool. Persons using prescription medications should consult a physician before using the spa pool. Individuals under the influence of alcohol should not use the spa pool. No person shall use the spa pool alone. Pregnant women should not use the spa pool without consulting their physicians. Persons should spend no more than 15 minutes in the spa at any one session. All children under 14 years of age shall be accompanied by a responsible adult observer. No person shall run or engage in horseplay in or around the spa pool. Patrons should shower before and after using the spa pool.
7. (5) Water slides safety signs. The following warnings must be posted at all slides: Always slide feet first and only after previous slider has cleared the area. No jumping or diving from slide. Only one (1) person at a time allowed on the slide. No play equipment on slide.
8. (6) Maximum bather load. The maximum bather load as determined by 20 CAR § 136-120 shall be conspicuously posted at the entrance of the pool/spa.

9. (7) Pool depth markers. Depth markings shall:

   1. (A) Plainly mark the water depth in a unit of measurement, i.e. feet, inches, or meters on the vertical wall at or above the water level and on the horizontal surface of the coping or deck edge;

   2. (B)

      1. (i) Be located on the vertical pool wall to be read from the waterside.
      2. (ii) Where markings cannot be placed above the water level, markings shall be placed in other areas and plainly visible to users in the pool;
   3. (C) Be located on the coping or deck within eighteen inches (18”) of the water edge and readable while standing on the deck facing the water;
   4. (D) Be slip resistant;
   5. (E) Be placed at the maximum and minimum water depths and at all points of slope change;
   6. (F) Meet the above requirements on irregularly shaped pools and designate the depths at all major deviations in shape;
   7. (G) Be at a three-inch minimum height on the deck and at a two-inch minimum height on the vertical pool wall;
   8. (H) Be applied in a contrasting color; and
   9. (I) Additional markers may be required based on pool design.
10. (8) Spa or wading pool depth markers. A spa or wading pool shall have a minimum of two (2) three-inch depth markers indicating depth on the deck and/or posted on a sign or wall.

11. (9) Step and bench edges.

    1. (i) These shall be marked in a contrasting color or contrasting slip resistant tile.

       1. (ii) The vertical and horizontal faces on bench edges shall be marked.
       2. (iii) All steps shall have horizontal edges marked.

12. (10) Spa water temperature.

    1. (A) The maximum water temperature for a spa or therapy/spa pool shall be:

       1. (i) One hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit (104˚ F); and
       2. (ii) Posted at the spa in three-inch letters.
    2. (B) A nonbreakable thermometer shall be provided for use in the spa.

13. (11) Oils, body lotions, and minerals. Oils, body lotions, minerals, or other materials not associated with chemicals used for water chemistry balance and disinfection of the water are prohibited in the spa, and this information shall be posted.

    1. (m) Animals prohibited in pool/spa area. Except for service animals for the physically impaired, animals are not allowed in the enclosure.