Guidance on identifying hazards in and around the pool environment

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This page provides guidance on identifying hazards in and around the swimming pool environment.

What is a hazard?

There is no agreed definition of the word hazard, but the principles used to define the concept are well understood. A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm, but this definition leads to a lot of confusion among practitioners and non-practitioners.

This is especially true across language barriers. ISO 31000 can help us break down the key concepts, and sometimes, it is useful to look at what isn't a hazard: 

Failure to...

A hazard is not an absence or weakness of control measures ("failure to rescue", "insufficient visibility", "inadequate supervision", "poor water hygiene" etc.)

Increase the likelihood of...

A hazard does not make it more or less likely that a person will be exposed (this is a risk factor)

A hazard is the source of something which has the potential to cause harm 

Running on poolside...

The way a person is exposed to a hazard (such as the task, activity, or route of entry) is the risk pathway. This describes how a person becomes exposed to a hazard and is particularly important when looking at the employer's duty to ensure a person is not exposed to a risk to their health and safety as a result of or by the way they operate their business

Vulnerable people...

The person at risk of harm is the risk receptor. Some hazards pose no risk of harm to certain groups (e.g. allergens to those not allergic), whilst others pose a risk to all human beings (e.g. contact with electricity). Some hazards pose a greater risk to some groups than others (e.g. drowning and non-swimmers vs swimmers). 

Drowning...

The harm they suffer could be an injury (e.g. laceration, fracture) or ill-health (e.g. legionnaire's disease), but this is not a hazard.  

It is often better to think of hazards as hazard statements as they are often sentences rather than brief words or phrases. Examples may include: 

• Tripping over foreign objects in a pedestrian walkway.
• Falling from height.
• Collision with other riders, the pool surround or catch pool bottom. 
• Exposure to electricity. 
• Submersion in deep water. 
• Ingestion of foreign objects.

The guidance available on hazards

• HSE. 2022. Managing risk and risk assessments at work. 
• HSE. 2022. Health and safety made simple. 
• HSE. 2018. Health and safety in swimming pools. HSG179, 4th edition. Paragraph 77.
• HSE. 2014. Toolbox. How to control risks at work. 
• EN 15288-2:2018. Swimming pools for public use. Part 2 safety requirements for operation. Clause 6 and Annex A. 

What does the operator need to do? 

Employers, self-employed people, and those in control of premises must identify the hazards in their environment, assess the risk they pose, and put in place reasonably practicable measures to mitigate or eliminate the risk. 

Example hazards in the pool environment

The below examples are broadly divided into three groups: drowning, environmental, and activity hazards. 

Drowning hazards

Hazard 1: Swim failure

Swim failure is a cause of drowning when persons cannot prevent submersion in deep water. Swim failure can occur in swimmers and non-swimmers (read examples of drowning incidents)

Risk factors include: 

• Non-swimmers using the pool surround to access deep water. 
• Non-swimmers crawl along lane ropes to access deep water. 
• Non-swimmers using floating or inflatable play equipment to access deep water. 
• Young children riding on a parent's back into deep water. 
• Swimmers who become fatigued or injured. 
• Pool users experiencing a heart attack or spinal injury. 
• Intoxicated swimmers. 

Hazard 2: Cold water

Cold water presents a risk of cold water shock (aka hypocapnia) and hypothermia, which can cause drowning. Cold water shock is rare in swimming pools and occurs when a person loses respiratory control when suddenly immersed in cold and deep water. Hypothermia is very rare in swimming pools and occurs from prolonged immersion in cold water. Cold water is typically only present in plunge or non-heated outdoor pools.

Risk factors include: 

• Jumping or diving into cold and deep water. 
• Prolonged staff training exercises in cold water. 

Hazard 3: Health events

Several health events may result in a loss of consciousness whilst in swimming pool water, which can cause drowning.

Risk factors include: 

• Hypoxic training and prolonged breath-holding (a cause of syncope) (read about underwater blackout). 
• Seizures (read our guidance on seizure management)
• Anxiety (can trigger fainting and seizures).
• Fainting. 
• Stroke.
• Cardiac arrest. 
• Diabetic attacks. 
• Head and spinal injuries. 

Hazard 4: Entrapment

Persons can become entrapped, which can cause drowning and hypoxia. 

Risk factors include: 

• Entrapped by grilles and drains. 
• Entrapped by step ladders.
• Small children are more likely to get entrapped by handrails. 
• Long hair.
• Loose-fitting swimwear. 
• Pool tank outlet. 

Environmental hazards

Swimming pools expose persons to a variety of environmental hazards. 

Hazard 5: Contact with hazardous substances

Employees, contractors, and the public may be exposed to harm through contact with hazardous substances.

Risk factors include: 

• Access to chemicals.
• Chemical labelling. 
• Cleaning. 
• Disinfectant dosing. 
• Spillage management. 
• Contamination incidents. 
• Disposal of chemicals. 
• Fatigue. 
• Stress. 
• Lead.
• Dust. 
• Dermatitis and eczema. 

Hazard 6: Contact with pathogens

Persons may be exposed to harm through contact with pathogens. 

Risk factors include: 

• Legionnaire's disease (particularly dead legs, stagnant water, and water contamination). 
• Cryptosporidium (including faecal contamination incidents). 
• Weil's disease. 
• Norovirus and coronavirus. 
• Needlestick injury. 
• Infectious disease. 

Hazard 7: Air quality

Persons may be exposed to harm through respiratory diseases and disease-causing agents. 

Risk factors include: 

• Asbestos.
• Occupational asthma. 
• Heat and humidity. 

Hazard 8: Noise

Persons may be exposed to harm through exposure to noise.

Risk factors include: 

• Prolonged exposure to noise. 
• Acute exposure to noise (including alarms). 
• Large crowds. 
• Competitive events. 

Hazard 9: Fire and smoke

Persons may be exposed to harm through fire and smoke (see examples of swimming pool fires). 

Risk factors include: 

• Sanaus. 
• Waste disposal. 
• Food preparation areas. 
• Emergency egress. 
• Arson. 

Hazard 10: Contact with electricity

Persons may be exposed to harm through contact with electricity. 

Risk factors include: 

• Damaged wiring. 
• Electrical maintenance.
• Electrical isolation. 
• Lightning. 

Hazard 11: Radiological

Persons may be exposed to harm by prolonged exposure to natural light. 

Risk factors include:

• Outdoor pools and water features. 
• Lifeguards. 
• UV disinfection systems. 

Activity hazards

Swimming pools are fun places where people can enjoy water, but they can result in activity risk. 

Hazard 12: Falls and collisions

Falls and collisions cause bruises, sprains, strains, dislocations and broken bones, which, in turn, can trigger swim failure and drowning.  

Risk factors include: 

• Diving into shallow water.
• Bombing. 
• Verticle dives. 
• Jumping or diving onto other persons. 
• Swimming into other persons.  
• Swimming into the pool wall. 
• Falling from a diving board and landing on the poolside. 
• Diving or jumping from a significant height. 
• Objects thrown or dropped from a significant height. 
• Running into another person on the pool surround. 
• Slipping. 
• Tripping. 
• Waterslides. 
• Wave pools. 
• Zorb balls. 
• Inflatable and floating play equipment. 

Hazard 13: Interpersonal Contact

Interpersonal conflict and violence may result in harm. 

Risk factors include: 

• Violence. 
• Verbal abuse. 
• Sexual abuse. 
• Exploitation. 
• Psychological abuse. 
• Forced submersion. 
• Forced entry into deep or cold water. 

Hazard 14: Moving and handling

Moving and handling may result in harm. 

Risk factors include: 

• Lifting. 
• Carrying. 
• Pushing.  
• Pulling. 
• Falls from height. 
• Ladders and step-ladders. 
• Slipping on standing water on a walkway. 
• Slipping because of floor contamination. 
• Tripping over objects left on a walkway. 
• Hot liquids. 
• Hot surfaces (mainly pipes).
• Oral and nasal obstructions (infants especially). 
• Confined spaces.
• Allergies. 

Questions and Answers

Are 'hazards' and 'risks' the same thing? 

Hazards and risk are different concepts. Risk can be described as the uncertainty surrounding the attainment of the desired result. There are two intervals in the risk assessment process where risk can be assessed: initial assessment and residual assessment. Initial assessment involves assessing risk that exists before controls are implemented. This will, in most cases, lead to the widest variance of results and is a poor indicator of the risk posed to persons in controlled environments such as workplaces (provided the risk has been identified in the first instance). Residual risk assessment involves assessing risk after controls have been implemented, with the aim of validating the effectiveness of control measures. 

Are 'hazards' are 'harm' the same thing? 

Drowning results in injury and/or ill health. It can often be useful to consider injuries and ill health that could occur in an environment as a first step before seeking to identify the hazards that may cause them to occur. For example, it is relatively quick and easy to identify that a pool user could drown or contract legionnaires disease, but the hazards that may lead to those outcomes are numerous and often harder to identify. We've identified that there are at least fifteen different circumstances that may result in a person drowning in a swimming pool. 

Do all hazards arise from the work or work setting? 

The group of legal duties we call health and safety law set down requirements for employers to take action to mitigate hazards that "arise from the work or work setting". Employers are not required to respond to risks that exist in everyday life. For example, human beings have used water for swimming for thousands of years, and there is strong evidence to say that using the sea or a lake, river, pond, or pool for swimming is part of everyday life. When you begin to offer other people access to your swimming pool on a commercial basis (paid or voluntary), this position changes. You must now ensure that you identify and manage the hazards which arise from your pool or the way you operate it, which may expose others to a risk of injury or ill health. 

A good example of the difference can be seen with water depth. Frequently, pool professionals may say that deeper water presents a greater risk to pool users, and this is true in everyday life, not just in an occupational context. If the pool user is unaware of the depth of water they are entering because of a lack of information or notice by the pool operator, then the hazard can be properly said to have arisen from how the pool is operated. The pool operator must assess and manage the hazards that arise from the swimming pool or its operation.  

What are control measures? 

Control measures may be considered as positive actions or omissions that increase the likelihood of the desired result being realized. A control's suitability pertains to its relevancy. A control that is implemented but has no effect on the desired result is not suitable. Suitability is best assessed by reference to individual controls. It is rare that a single control measure will be relied on to guard against a person being exposed to harm. The sufficiency of controls pertains to the size of their effect. A collection of control measures may be assessed as insufficient where they fail to ensure the desired result. Under particularly section 3(1) HSWA 1974, a collection of controls may be deemed insufficient where a person has been exposed to harm and where there was a failure to adopt suitable controls that were reasonably practicable to adopt in the circumstances. 

Citation: Jacklin, D. 2024. Guidance on identifying hazards in and around the pool environment. Water Incident Research Hub, 13 May; updated 13 August.