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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-11-05 CJ!Jl-!lJgron REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee Date: June 20, 2005 Resolution #: af/l-!df(;S' Report #: CSD-11-05 File#: By-law #: Subject: Proposed Admission Standards for Public Swimming Pools Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report CSD-11-05 be received for information. Submitted by: seph P. Caruana irector of Community Services /\ ;. G ..HI. _<t ~ Reviewed by:V . _.;.i"-l.t. Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer JPC/BT/EM CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-5506 REPORT NO.: CSD-11-05 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 The operation of all public pools is regulated by the Health Protection and Promotion Act (Regulation 565) and is administered locally by the Region of Durham Health Department as mandated by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. 1.2 Pool incidents involving a major injury or a drowning are thoroughly investigated by the various Health Departments and/or Ministry and the results are circulated to all pool operators in an effort to create awareness to avoid similar situations from occurring locally. 1.3 Following a fatal drowning that occurred in another municipality, the Coroner conducted an inquest into the drowning. As a result of the inquest findings, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has requested the Region of Durham Health Department circulate a notice to area municipalities (Attachment #1) and the Coroner's Recommendations (Attachment #2) to all local pool operators, including our Municipality. 1.4 Primarily, the Coroner's inquest recommends that all children under the age of ten (10) must be accompanied by an attendant who will directly supervise and be responsible for the child while in the pool. In this particular case, the drowning occurred when a group of young children were unsupervised by their attendants in a supervised facility. The Coroner's investigation found that if the attendants had stayed and supervised the young children, the drowning might not have occurred. 1.5 In a response to this event the Coroner's office, along with numerous stakeholders, developed recommended Admission Standards to prevent such tragedies in the future. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care strongly support these recommendations for the purposes of preventing injuries and fatalities. 1.6 The Admission Standards state that: · Children under 10 years of age who are non-swimmers must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 12 years of age and responsible for their direct supervision. The ratio is to be 4:1 (4 bathers to one parent or guardian). If lifejackets are worn by all non-swimmers in their charge, the ratio may be increased to 8: 1. · Children under 10 years who are swimmers (able to demonstrate comfort in the water Clnd pass the facility swim test) may be admitted to the swimming pool unaccompanied. REPORT NO.: CSD-11-05 PAGE 3 . Children under 6 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at a maximum ratio of 2:1. . Guardians or group leaders are responsible for the children in their care while in the facility and must directly supervise the children at all times. . Guardians or group leaders should be at least 12 years of age. 1.7 The Region of Durham, Health Department recently circulated a notice to all owners/operators and lifeguards of public pools advising us of these Admission Standards with the recommendation that all pool operators, including the Municipality, consider the standards as a tool to assist us in preventing accidents or drownings in our pools. 2.0 COMMENTS 2.1 There are several ways these new Admission Standards will impact our operations: . Currently, our minimum age requirement to be unaccompanied in the pool is 6 years of age, regardless of comfort level in the water or a stipulation that a swim test is passed. The minimum age will now move to 10 years of age and this will impact the children and parents/guardians that use our facilities for recreational swims. . Our summer camp program includes an aquatics component. Our ratios for camp staff with respect to our campers who are under 6 years of age would be impacted. Our current ratio. is 3:1 and the recommended ratio is 2:1, which may have budget implications ifadditional staff are required. · Under the new Admission Standards, age is not the only criteria for determining if a child may be left unaccompanied. Swimming ability is also taken into consideration. An efficient swim testing method will need to be established at our facilities to comply with the Admission Standards. Frequently, our pools operate at capacity and staff will need to devise a process to assess swimmers in an efficient and timely manner. . In order to comply with the recommendations, staff will need to develop a proof-of-age process for caregivers (12 years of age and over). It should also be noted that staff have concerns regarding the ability of 12 year olds to be responsible for siblings in a pool environment. REPORT NO.: CSD-11-05 PAGE 4 2.2 It should be noted that at this point, these are only recommendations and not regulations under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. As implementation of the recommendations is voluntary, a start date has not been established by either the Ministry or the Health Department. These recommendations have been brought to the attention of the pool operators in an effort to be proactive in educating the public in these recommendations. Staff is anticipating a change to the Health Regulations for Public Pools in the near future to include these Admission Standards as part of the Health Protection and Promotion Act. 2.3 Currently, the aquatics departments of neighbouring municipalities are reviewing the information and staff anticipate a program to incorporate the Admission Standards will be in place as coordinated through the Durham Region Aquatics Committee, in the fall of 2005. The Municipality of Clarington has representation on this committee. 2.4 In the interim, the Community Services Department will commence a program of staff training regarding the recommendations and provide information to our residents regarding the future implementation of the Admissions Standards recommendations. Attachments: Attachment #1 ~ Notice - Region of Durham, Health Department Attachment #2 - Coroner's Recommendations The Regional Municipality of Durham Health Departmant HEAD OFFICE SUITE 210 1615 DUNDAS ST. E. WHITBY ON L1N 2Ll CANADA 905-723-8521 Tor. 905-686-2740 1-800-841-2729 Fax: 905-723-6026 www.region.durham.on.ca . An AccredRed Public Health Agency .service Eic8uence forour Communities" Attachment #1 to RepDrt CSD-ll-05 NOTICE To all Owners/Operators and Lifeguards of Public Pools A drowning occurred when a group of young children were unsupervised by their attendants in a supervised public pool facility. A coroner's investigation into the matter noted that ifthi: attendants had stayed and supervised the young children, the drowning may not have occurred. In response to this event, the Coroner's Office, along with numerous stakeholders, developed Admission Standards to prevent such tragedies in the future. Attached is a fact sheet on the Admission Standards. . Please consider these standards as a tool to assist you, the pool owner, operator or lifeguard in preventing accidents or drownings in your pool. . We recommend posting of these requirements or advising the users of your pool through written handouts. Information ofthis nature is very valuable in preventing a mishap in your pool. . . Please consider the intent of these recommendations. Parental supervision is of vital assistance to the lifeguard staffin ensuring safety within a pool enclosure. . . Owners and operators of class B Public Pools that do not require lifeguards should consider advising their users to limit the number of young or non- swimmers that a parent or his or her agent takes' into the pool enclosure. Use these A9mission Standards as an example. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Durham Region Help Line at (905) 723-8521, Ext. 2188. Weare thankful you care. ~ Mike Pittman, B.SC., C.P.H.I.(C) Senior Public Health Inspector Environmental Health Division Prepared for the Protection of Ontario Residents by: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Heath Division, Infectious Diseases Branch @ 100% Post Consumer Attachment #2 to Report CSD-ll-05 _~:\n~SION STF..NDARDS FOR PUBLIC !lOOLS Coroner's Recommendation Admission S t;h,d:rrc;; :'C~ Public Pools were developed by the Office of the Chief Coroner to assist lifeguards and :!Ssisrant lifeguards in maintaining adequate surveillance over the whereabouts and ti:~ ::cnvities of young bathers while they are inside the pool enclosure. The Ministry of Health and Long- T= Care strongly supports these recommendations for the purposes of preventing injuries and fatalities. - . Children under the age of 10 years who are non-swiminers must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 12 years of age and responsible for their direct supervision. The ratio of non-S\\1mmers to parent or guardian may be a maximum of 4 bathers to one parent or guardian (4; I). The ratio of non-swimmers to parent or guardian niay'be increased to a maximum of 8 bathers to one parent or guardian (8:1) iflifejackets "are worn by all non- swimmers in their charge . Children under the age of 10 who are swimmers (able to demonstrate corniort in the water and pass the facility swim test) may be admitted to the s-w;mmingiJool unaccompanied. . Children under the age of 6 years may not De admitted to the swimming pool unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian who is responSible forth~ir direct supervision, with ~ maximum of two children for each parent or guardian. . . Guardians or group leaders are responsible for the children in 'tb.eir care while in the facility and must directly supervise the children at all times. . .' . . Guardians or group leaders should be at least 12 years of age. . Ratios ofinstructors/1ifeguards to bathers must also be maintained as per Regulation 565. Class B Public Pools that do not require lifeguards still require bathers under twelve ye= of age to be accompanied by a parent or his or her agent who is not less than sixteen years of age.