By Sabraya Ghale

Safety Director, American Pool Enterprises, Inc.

As an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor Trainer, I have been training lifeguards to perform and/or teach CPR/AED for over 7 years. I have always felt that anyone with a child, family member, or friend should learn CPR. In 90 percent of cases, the person in need of CPR will be a friend of family member. You may be the only person around who can help during an emergency.  Especially in an aquatic emergency, where there is no lifeguard on duty.

Many people have steered away from learning CPR because of the fear of mouth to mouth contact and the possible diseases that could be contracted. The Red Cross has made it possible to learn CPR without the worry of mouth to mouth contact.  With the industry putting stress on the importance of compressions only, organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross answered with the hands-only technique which involves using just chest compressions and no mouth to mouth contact on a person who has suffered from sudden cardiac arrest. In 2010 the American Red Cross released its Citizen-Only CPR class which teaches a hands-only technique.

Most times, a person’s heart stops because of an abnormal quivering known as ventricular fibrillation, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). A person’s life can be saved in more than 50 percent of these cases if CPR (and defibrillation) is given in the first three to five minutes. Studies have shown that chest compressions alone may be as effective as traditional CPR with compressions and breaths. Therefore, if you as a parent, family member, or bystander are able to help save someone’s life by giving compressions why would you not?

Follow these steps below:

What should you do if you witness someone suddenly collapse?

1.       Check and call 911

a.       Check the scene and then check the person.

b.      Tap on the shoulder and shout, “Are you okay?” and quickly look for breathing.

c.       Call 911 in no response.

d.      If unresponsive and not breathing, begin chest compressions.

2.      Give chest compressions

a.       Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest.

b.      Place the heel of the other hand on top of the first hand, lacing your fingers together.

c.       Keep your arms straight; position your shoulders directly over your hands.

d.      Push hard and fast:

i.      Compress the chest at least 2 inches deep.

ii.      Compress at least 100 times per minute.

iii.      Let the chest rise completely before pushing    down again.

e.      Continue chest compressions

3.       DO NOT STOP (Except for one of the following situations):

a.       You see an obvious sign of life (breathing).

b.      A trained responder arrives and takes over.

c.       EMS personnel arrive and take over.

d.      The scene becomes unsafe.

For more information and to watch a two-minute video on how to perform the hands-only CPR technique please go to www.redcross.org.

There is nothing more rewarding than knowing how to save a human life.

May is National Water Safety Month. Help join the fight to save our children from unintentional drowning and follow ALL the home pool safety tips provided. Remember to contact your local Red Cross (1-800-RED-CROSS) for further information on enrolling in swimming lessons, CPR, or first aid class.

About the Author

Sabraya Ghale graduated from Villa Julie College in 2000 with a B.A. in Psychology. She began her aquatics career as an assistant swim coach for the YMCA and then became a YMCA Aquatics Director. The American Red Cross recognizes her as a Certified Lifeguard Instructor Trainer and she coordinates a top safety program for lifeguard management companies across the United States. She has continued with her training over the years by completing courses on Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA Construction Safety and Health. Currently, she serves as the Safety Director for American Pool Enterprises, Inc. and has spent the last seven years enforcing policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all full-time and seasonal employees.

By Sabraya Ghale
Safety Director, American Pool Enterprises, Inc.

Anyone that was a competitive swimmer 10-20 years ago will remember their hypoxic training. How many strokes or laps could you do without taking a breath? One of the thought processes was the fewer breaths you took the faster you would swim. One of the ways we thought we could hold our breath longer was to take rapid, deep breaths – basically voluntarily hyperventilating.

If we weren’t doing this for our swim coach, then we were showing off to our friends during recreational swim. Unfortunately, we have learned through many tragic events that this practice it NOT safe. In fact, it is extremely dangerous because swimmers risk passing out due to a lack of oxygen. This phenomenon has been labeled as Shallow Water Blackouts.

It has been recently discovered that one of the most common causes of drowning is Shallow Water Blackouts. This type of blackout occurs when a swimmer’s carbon dioxide and oxygen levels become too low. Once O2 levels are too low the person will become unconscious. Our breathing mechanism is triggered by higher levels of CO2 in our body. When someone voluntarily hyperventilates in an effort to increase their O2 level to swim longer distances without breathing, they are actually decreasing their CO2 levels. Low levels of CO2 deprive our bodies of its built-in system that notifies us to breath. Therefore, a person who hyperventilates and then swims underwater can pass out because their body does not know they are in need of O2. Once the body does realize it is in need of O2 and takes a breath, they will swallow large amounts of water causing the drowning process to begin.

Shallow Water Blackouts can affect anyone, but the population affected most is competitive, physically-fit swimmers. Therefore, it is much harder to recognize someone suffering from this type of blackout because they are usually the most confident and experienced swimmers.

Traditionally, lifeguards were taught to focus on the weak, young or elderly swimmers. Now that aquatic specialists have discovered the phenomenon of Shallow Water Blackouts, many preventive methods have been put into place. The American Red Cross, YMCA and USA Swimming have now banned hypoxic training and prolonged underwater swimming, although far too many people still practice it. In addition, training organizations such as the American Red Cross are helping to train lifeguards more aware of the dangers of hyperventilation and extended breath-holding.

Today, the best prevention strategy is education. Swim coaches, competitive swimmers, parents, lifeguards and pool managers should all be well-aware of how Shallow Water Blackouts can affect swimmers. Professional aquatic staff must not allow anyone to participate in any breath-holding activity, no matter their experience level. Regular pool patrons have the power to recognize this dangerous activity and notify the correct personnel in charge. As pool enthusiasts, we can all help reduce the risk of drowning in our communities and take steps to promote optimum water safety.

May is National Water Safety Month. Help join the fight to save our children from unintentional drowning and follow ALL the home pool safety tips provided. Remember to contact your local Red Cross (1-800-RED-CROSS) for further information on enrolling in swimming lessons, CPR, or first aid class.

About the Author
Sabraya Ghale graduated from Villa Julie College in 2000 with a B.A. in Psychology. She began her aquatics career as an assistant swim coach for the YMCA and then became a YMCA Aquatics Director. The American Red Cross recognizes her as a Certified Lifeguard Instructor Trainer and she coordinates a top safety program for lifeguard management companies across the United States. She has continued with her training over the years by completing courses on Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA Construction Safety and Health. Currently, she serves as the Safety Director for American Pool Enterprises, Inc. and has spent the last seven years enforcing policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all full-time and seasonal employees.

By Sabraya Ghale
Safety Director, American Pool Enterprises, Inc.

Do you own a swimming pool or hot tub? If not, do any of your friends, family or neighbors own one? Do you have access to an apartment or condominium pool? And lastly, do you have children? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please take a moment to read this brief article.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3,443 fatal and unintentional drownings (non-boating related) in the United States in 2007. This averages out to ten deaths per day. More than one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger.

For every child who dies from drowning, another four receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Children ages 1 to 4 years most likely drown in residential pools. There are safety precautions that can be taken to reduce these statistics. Including as many of these safety tips as possible is the greatest way to guarantee the safest experience possible at any swimming pool or spa.

Home Pool Safety Tips:

• Adult supervision is critical. Always watch your children when they are in or near a pool or spa. Never leave a child unsupervised who may be able to gain access to a swimming pool or spa.
• Learn to swim and make sure your children are taught how to swim as well. Contact your local Red Cross to schedule swimming lessons.
• Educate your children about basic water safety tips and teach them that they are never to go near the water without an adult.
• A four-foot or taller fence must enclose the entire pool and it must have a self-closing, self-latching gate. All the doors or gates leading to the pool should have secure locks and alarms. This includes the house if it serves as part of the barrier the pool and any windows.
• Learn how to perform CPR and first aid. Contact your local Red Cross about taking a CPR and first aid class.
• A fully-charged phone should be kept pool side with all emergency phone numbers posted.
• Have appropriate equipment accessible, such as, a reaching pole, a flotation device, life jackets and a first aid kit.
• The water should be kept clean and clear.
• Furniture or toys are to be kept away from a fence that would enable a child to climb over.
• If a child is missing, look in the pool or spa first.

May is National Water Safety Month. Help join the fight to save our children from unintentional drowning and follow ALL the home pool safety tips provided. Remember to contact your local Red Cross (1-800-RED-CROSS) for further information on enrolling in swimming lessons, CPR, or first aid class.

About the Author
Sabraya Ghale graduated from Villa Julie College in 2000 with a B.A. in Psychology. She began her aquatics career as an assistant swim coach for the YMCA and then became a YMCA Aquatics Director. The American Red Cross recognizes her as a Certified Lifeguard Instructor Trainer and she coordinates a top safety program for lifeguard management companies across the United States. She has continued with her training over the years by completing courses on Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA Construction Safety and Health. Currently, she serves as the Safety Director for American Pool Enterprises, Inc. and has spent the last seven years enforcing policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all full-time and seasonal employees.

It is important to prepare and be aware of how to prevent drowning for children of all ages. As the leading cause of death for babies and infants, Poolman wants to make sure that you are prepared and safe this summer season.

For more information and to read the full article, please visit http://www.livestrong.com/

Poolman, DSCP Pool and other pool maintenance companies like them are gearing up for Water Safety Month. This month outlines all the preventive actions that can be taken to avoid incidents caused by pools or other water features.

Phoenix, Arizona – March, 2012 Phoenix based company, DSC Pool Barriers, is gearing up for National Water Safety Month, sponsored by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), World Waterpark Association (WWA), and the American Red Cross. May 2012 has been designated as the month to bring awareness to water safety through education. The national campaign will include educational programs, public service announcements, governmental proclamations, dealer and business promotions and the distribution of water-safety-themed materials.

APSP and the International Swimming Hall of Fame offer the following pool safety tips for homeowners, starting with making supervision a top priority. Children should never be left unsupervised in or near the pool, and should be watched carefully by adults at all times. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone or run to get the sunscreen.

DCS Pool Barriers offers a full selection of products for pool safety. Doors that open to the pool area can be equipped with DCS’s patented Ultra Glide sliding glass door closer, which ensures that a sliding door will never be left open, allowing children unsupervised access to the pool. Sliding doors can also be fitted with safety latches that can be easily installed above child-level so kids cannot open the doors without adult assistance.

Permanent, galvanized steel pool fencing is a popular choice for pool safety in Arizona. High quality pool fencing can be customized so that it is not only durable and meets local pool barrier code, but will blend with the style of the home and property. This type of pool safety barrier is built to last, and can enhance property values. Gates on your pool fencing should close and latch automatically, and should never be left propped open. Patio furniture or other large objects should be far enough away from the fencing so that children cannot climb over the fence and gain access to the pool area.

For more information and to read the full press release, please visit http://www.prurgent.com/2012-03-15/pressrelease230838.htm.

Arizona’s Pool Pump and Portable Spa Energy Efficiency Standards, which took effect on Jan. 1, has had overwhelming opposition in the past several weeks. The law requires that all residential installations include a multi or variable speed pump with a pump size greater than one horse power, imitating an earlier, similar law in California.

While many argue that the law has been well placed and could be effective, it lacks regulation, guidance, while the language used is unclear, creating confusion for many service technicians.

Click on the coupon name under your location to download a printable pdf. Be sure to mention the coupon when you call for service and have a copy to present at the time of service.

• AZ: $10 Off Heater Inspection and Cleaning
• AZ: $25 Off New Variable Speed Motor
• AZ: $50 Off New Variable Speed Pump

• TX: $10 Off Parts for DE Teardown
• TX: $25 Off Drain and Chlorine Rinse

• CA: $50 Off New Variable Speed Pump
• CA: $25 Off New Variable Speed Motor

The words “water safety” most often bring to mind emergency preparedness and responsible behavior in and around swimming pools. There is no doubt that maintaining a clean and safe swimming pool and surrounding area, understanding the risks associated with owning a swimming pool, taking actions to prevent drowning, teaching children to swim, and becoming trained to respond in emergency situations are incredibly important when it comes to home swimming pool safety. But since most of us aren’t using our swimming pools right now, today I’d like to highlight a less-publicized but just-as-important kind of water safety: keeping infants and young children safe in the bathroom.

January is National Bath Safety Month. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages one to four years, and approximately 100 children under the age of five drown in bathtubs, buckets, or toilets each year. Drowning can occur in just seconds and in only TWO INCHES of water.

My mom often tells the story of finding me, as a toddler, stuck upside down inside my toy box. I had flipped forward onto my head while attempting to pull a stuffed animal from the bottom of the box, and there I remained – feet straight up in air – until my mom heard my cries for help and pulled me out. This scenario could just as easily have played out with a bathtub, bucket full of water, or toilet in place of the toy box, and with a much more devastating outcome.

Bathroom drowning, just like home swimming pool drowning, is preventable. The American Red Cross has compiled a great deal of valuable information on keeping infants and children safe in and around water in your home (links below), but here are a few of the most important and potentially life-saving recommendations:
- Empty bathtubs and buckets immediately after use, and use safety locks on toilets.
- Never leave infants or young children unattended in or near water.
- Never trust an older child to supervise a younger child, or trust a bath seat to keep an infant safe.
- Never allow children to roughhouse in the bathtub.

For more information on Water Safety in Your Home, click here, and for more information on Watching Children Around Water, click here.

Read original posting on redcrosschat.org

In the New Year, we look forward to providing the best service to all of our customers. We like to make the swimming pool experience both enjoyable and stress-free. Be on the lookout for our monthly customer coupons and be sure to consider our online payment system as well.

Poolman makes a resolution every year to improve their customer experience and services. Here’s to 2012 – may it be your pool’s best year yet.

Happy New Year!

Industry representatives are trying to persuade the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to reverse a recent decision involving the federal pool and spa safety law.

In September, CPSC narrowed the definition of an unblockable drain in the VGB Act. Previously, a drain was considered unblockable as long as the cover met certain measurements and flow requirements. The latest decision restricted the meaning further, stating that the sump also must meet dimensional criteria.

Because of the recent ruling, drains that have fallen out of the unblockable category (those with sumps measuring 18-by-23-inches or smaller) now are considered single blockable outlets, and must be split or receive backups. CPSC said these retrofits must occur by May 28, 2012, but allowed a comment period to receive input on the deadline.

In response, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals issued an alert asking its members to write letters to CPSC, as well as to the congressional subcommittee overseeing the agency and individual legislators who sponsored VGB as a bill.

Additionally, drain cover producer Worldwide Sports hired a lobbyist to submit a letter on its behalf as well as other interested parties. The letter went to Gib Mullan, chief counsel of the House Subcommittee overseeing the CPSC.

“Hopefully, they’ll get enough safety-based information to either do an oversight hearing or send another letter to the commission,” said Walt Sanders, vice president of law and government affairs at Alexandria, Va.-based Van Fleet Associates, who wrote the letter.

The letter suggested the CPSC ruling was vulnerable to having an injunction placed against it because no public comment period was allowed. It went on to cite a case where a similar CPSC decision was reversed in court.

Continue reading at http://www.poolspanews.com/2011/122/122n_cpsc.html