General Pool Safety

The Iowa Swimming Pool and Spa program has established minimum standards, 641 IAC Chapter 15, applicable throughout Iowa for the design, installation, operation and maintenance of these facilities in order to protect the bathing public from injury, minimize the potential for disease transmission and provide a safe and healthy aquatic recreational environment. Parents and families can build on their current safety systems with pools and spas by adopting these additional safety steps when they are in or near the water:

Safety Steps

Diving - Only dive into designated areas as many spinal cord injuries occur each year nationally due to diving into shallow water.

Entrapment - Never sit on pool drains or put fingers, hands into underwater openings. If drain covers are broken or missing leave the pool and notify someone so they can be repaired.

Pool Chemicals - Individuals should wear appropriate personal protective equipment when handling pool chemicals. Pool chemicals are added to the water to improve the water quality, but pool chemicals can lead to injury when mixed together or when appropriate personal protective equipment is not used during handling.

Slips Trips and Falls - Individuals should avoid running or horseplay on the swimming pool deck. Slippery decks, uneven pavement, and unattended towels and water toys left around swimming pools can lead to slips, trips, and fall injuries at swimming pools.

Sun Exposure - Protect children’s skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays whenever they’re outdoors. Just a few serious sunburns as a child can increase the risk of skin cancer later in life.

Severe Weather - Review the forecast before swimming or boating. The strong winds and lightning strikes associated with severe weather are dangerous to swimmers and boaters.