Local Procedure Name of Procedure: Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedures Written By: Tom Hughes (Head of Evaluation and Training Department) Reviewed By: Ciara Duggan (FLM Riverside GH) Mary Forkan (FLM St. John s Training Centre & Pinegrove) Thomas Kearns (Maintenance Manager) Approved By: Mary Hession (Regional Services Manager East Area) Monitoring Process: Procedural Review Process Code of Procedure: Site Specific Date Written: Date Approved: January 2004 Date Reviewed: November 2011 Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011
HYDRO POOL CHART Staff Levels Staff Training Steps to take in an emergency Provide immediate attention Ensure safety of others Phone at poolside to get assistance Get additional medical or other help as required. Infection Control Guidelines Maintenance of Pool Equipment Chemical levels Practice Drills Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 1
HYDROTHERAPY POOL KILTIMAGH Safety and Emergency Procedures, General Cleanliness of Hydro Pool Maintenance of Chemical Levels, Safety Equipment. 1. The pool is kept locked when it is not in use. Keys can be collected from St Johns day centre during centre hours and from Riverside during evenings and weekends.attendance registers in relevant places must be signed for all staff and service users using pool on collection of keys. 2. There is a pool attendant present at the pool 9.30am -1.30pm Monday to Friday, duties are outlined at back of document. 3. Please adhere to timetable. If you need to cancel a slot do so as early as possible, so the slot may be offered to another service user. 4. Staff will be required to familiarise themselves with the layout of the pool building, alarm system, location of telephone and emergency numbers and location of manual hoist prior to using the facility. 5. When pool is in use a minimum of two staff must be present. One staff must be in the pool at all times and one staff at the side of the pool. There is a pool attendant present 9.30am till 1.30pm who will act in this capacity.if you are using pool outside of these times then you must ensure that there are 2 staff present with individuals. Ratios should reflect the needs of the service users. At least one staff member present should be trained in the use of the expired air resuscitation technique (CPR) and basic first aid. Lilos, tubes or tyres should not be used in the pool as flotation aids. Proper life jackets are available for this purpose. In the event of accidents or dangerous incidents, the Social Care Leader in St Johns should be informed using the Incident/Injury Policy (SP20.2). 6. In the event of emergencies, staff at poolside should follow the emergency procedure. The support staff on the side of the pool is the person responsible for raising the alarm if an emergency occurs. The following steps should be taken: (a) (b) (c) (d) Ensure the person(s) involved receive immediate and appropriate attention. Ensure the safety of other persons in the area. Sound the alarm which is located on the wall midway down Hydrotherapy Pool. This alarm should be used in the event of fire or an emergency within the pool. There is a phone located at the poolside if additional assistance is required. Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 2
(Phone numbers of backup staff can be found beside the phone) (Riverside, Pinegrove, SCL, Saoirse, Cairde, Cois Abhainn) (e) Request any additional help from medical or other relevant services if required. If for any reason the phone is not operating, staff should use the alarm bell located at the poolside. 7. N.B. Before using the pool, the person in charge of the group should ensure that backup is available if needed. A back up list of names is maintained by the social care leader in St Johns and a copy can be found beside the phone in the pool. If assistance is required than staff should seek assistance from backup list provided between 9.30 and 4.30. If it happens in the evening or at weekend staff should contact Riverside/Pinegrove. Likewise if the alarm bell is sounded, staff engaged as back up will respond. 8. The pool should not be used during power cuts. Should a power cut occur while a group is in the pool, the staff in charge should terminate the session. In the event of a powercut and service user needs to be moved using hoist, manual hoist from the store room at the pool to be used. The manual hoist needs to remain on charge when not in use and this is the responsibility of the pool attendant, in their absence it is the responsibility of social care leader in St Johns. In the event of the manual hoist being used staff should ensure it is put on charge as soon as possible following use. If the overhead hoist should for any reason not work the manual hoist should be used. 9. Drills. It is the responsibility of the Social Care Leader in St Johns to ensure that all staff that use pool are familiar with relevant safety procedures. It is the responsibility of the Social Care Leader in St Johns to ensure that fire drills take place in line with organisational procedure on a regular basis 10. Safety equipment and chemical levels: Maintenance of chemical levels is the responsibility of the Maintenance Department. Checks on the fire safety equipment, phone and alarm bell will be the responsibility of the Social Care Leader or person designated by him/her. Regular checks should be carried out on all emergency equipment to ensure that it is in working order. A record of same shall be kept by the person who carries out the checks. 11. A weekly check of the emergency alarm bell should be carried out by the Social Care Leader or person designated by her/him. 12. The pool is never left un-attended whilst the doors are open. Pool should be covered immediately after use, unless it is being used directly afterwards. 13. Outdoor shoes should never be worn on the poolside, appropriate non-slip shoes must be worn or shoe covers. It is the responsibility of the pool attendant to Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 3
ensure everyone adheres to this. It is their duty to ensure adequate supplies of these are in stock. 14. Persons using the pool should familiarise themselves with the emergency procedures as set down by management. It is the responsibility of each Line Manager sending groups to use the pool to ensure their staff team are aware of emergency procedures. 15. Footbath to be kept filled with pool water at all times. This is the responsibility of the pool attendant. 16. In the case of faeces accident occurring in the pool, the pool is cleared and cleaned using nets provided; this is the responsibility of the pool attendant or the staff supporting the service user. 17. If this happens at the weekend the following steps should be followed: Staff with group to clean faecal matter from pool area using equipment provided Riverside to be informed of accident occurring to ensure that any subsequent group planning on using pool are aware. Maintenance to be informed of incident on Monday morning this is the responsibility of staff present at time of incident. Following the pool being cleaned the pool will remain out of use for twenty four hours. This is to ensure that the water quality and the temperature meet the required standards. 18. All persons using the pool should shower before entering water. 19. Swimming hats must be worn in the water. If this is not possible a letter supporting this must be sent to FLM of St. John s and will be kept on file. 20. All staff using the pool should ensure that they leave it in good condition. (Equipment should be treated with respect and care). Wash / change areas to be left clean and tidy. Toilets should be flushed. Everyone should remove their toiletries after using shower area. Shower trolley should be washed down, using pool water and returned to charging position, shower area rinsed with water and sprayed with cleaning agent. Commodes should be emptied and washed down with cleaning agent. Bins should be emptied daily. Dirty incontinence pads should be disposed of in a closed plastic bag, and placed in the bin. Overhead hoist to be returned to charge position, with green light lit. Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 4
Infection Control Guidelines Definition Infection control refers to policies and procedures used to minimize the risk of spreading infections. Examples of infectious diseases include common cold, mumps, measles, influenza, MRSA, hepatitis, food poisoning, etc. Purpose The purpose of this local procedure is to minimize the risk of spreading infectious diseases as we have numerous service users availing of hydrotherapy pool from a wide range of areas The purpose of infection control is to reduce the occurrence of infectious diseases. These diseases are usually caused by bacteria or viruses and can be spread by human to human contact, human contact with an infected surface, airborne transmission through tiny droplets of infectious agents suspended in the air, and, finally, by such common agents as food or water. Points to note are: Infection is prevalent in the general population. Diligent handwashing is the most preventative measure in stopping the spread of infection. People (service users and staff) with open wounds are at risk of infection entering their system. If someone is feeling unwell (flu, vomiting, diarrhoea) they should not attend the Hydrotherapy pool until recovered. Handwashing Diligent handwashing is the most preventative measure in stopping the spread of infection. To wash your hands properly: 1. Use warm water and liquid soap. 2. Rub soap all over your hands and between your fingers. 3. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. 4. Dry completely with disposable paper towel. 5. Alcohol gels can be used (see manufacturers details). Infection control in pool 1. After each individual / group session, the shower trolley, the shower commode chairs and any other equipment used should be washed down with warm water and all purpose cleaner and left to dry. 2. All surface areas to be wiped down in shower cubicle and changing area, i.e., shower unit, grab rail, toilets, etc. For further information on infection control, please refer to the Organisation Safety Statement. Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 5
Responsibility of Maintenance Department The Maintenance Department is responsible for the following in relation to the swimming pool: 1. Ensure the chlorine and PH levels are correct at all times. 2. Ensure adequate supplies of chemicals are present and stored in a safe place. 3. Back washing of filters every twenty days or sooner if required. 4. Making sure the temperature is correct at all times both in the pool and changing rooms. 5. Ensure all equipment and machines in plant room and sanitary ware in changing rooms are functioning properly. 6. Emptying and refilling the pool every six months. 7. Provide general maintenance duties on the building both inside and outside. 8. Ensure service of chemical and filtration equipment occurs once a year Responsibility of Pool Attendant 1. General upkeep and cleanliness of pool facilities. 2. Report to FLM any issues that may arise in the day to day running of the pool. 3. Report faults to maintenance department. 4. Ensuring manual hoist is charged. 5. Carry out weekly check of emergency alarm bell as assigned by FLM. 6. Ensure people wear non-slip shoes or shoe covers. 7. Supply non slip shoe covers when needed. 8. Ensure footbath is kept filled with pool water. 9. Remove faeces matter from pool using nets provided. 10. Ensure swimming hats are worn or if not relevant documentation is forwarded to FLM. Hydro Pool Safety and Emergency Procedure Effective from: November 2011 6