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American Red Cross
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
ASTM International (ASTM)
NSF International (NSF)
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Regulations are “mandatory” rules that cannot be deviated from without permission
from the regulation-setting agency. Failure to comply with regulations may result
in monetary fi nes and disciplinary actions, such as facility closures. Organizations
commonly setting aquatic regulations in the US include:
Health departments
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Key Points: Explain that while all the organizations listed have an impact on the aquatics industry
in some way, there are several that maintain a dominating presence. These include health
departments, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and
the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) and American National Standards Institute
(ANSI).
Discuss the various aspects of health departments. These include:
Health departments, more than any other regulating agency, have a direct day-to-day
impact on the operation and management of aquatic facilities
Health departments are sources for operating permits, site inspections, and regulations
governing such things as, but not limited to, water quality standards (disinfection,
bacterial limits, etc.), supervision requirements (lifeguards, etc.), operational parameters
(fi lter sizes, turnover rates, etc.), swimmer capacity limits, and construction requirements
Key Points: Discuss the various aspects of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA). These include:
OSHA is one of the most powerful agencies in federal government today. It regulates
the “employer to employee” relationship of all labor.
One of OSHA’s two most important regulations impacting the aquatics industry is the
Hazard Communication Standard, also known as the “Employee Right to Know Law.” As
it pertains to the aquatic industry, it regulates how pool operators handle equipment and
chemicals that could be hazardous to their health and safety.
The other important OSHA regulation that impacts the aquatics industry is the
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which is also part of the Hazard Communication
Standard. It regulates how to deal with employee exposure to blood and bodily fl uids.
This is a considerable concern in the aquatic industry, especially with lifeguards who
deal with cuts and scrapes on a daily basis.
One of the most important OSHA tools used in protection of employees is the Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). An MSDS is required for every chemical stored and used in
commercial applications. This includes pool chemicals, cleaning products, paints, etc.
MSDSs should be posted near chemical storage and on fi le and must be available to all
employees at no cost to them. MSDSs give valuable information about each chemical
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