An ongoing battle in my Aquatic Center (AC) is that cleaning staff use cleaning agents to clean windows, all the metal fixtures (and there are lots of them), 3 shower stalls, and floors while people are swimming, at at prime time - lunch hour times from 12 to 2. Despite my pleas to clean after hours, they insist that the cleaning be done while we are swimming. I know many will get on my case about this, but I've been a die hard runner/swimmer, tennis player for 35 years. I value my health and breathing in cleaning chemicals just seems to contradict the point of exercising. My argument is that they wait until classes empty out before cleaning, yet feel no need to do the same in the AC. If I could find another AC, I would leave, but I don't feel this a battle I should have to fight in this milennium. Oh, and I'm a senior who suffers chronic sinus infections. Ironically, they don't enforce the shower rule, and that really skeeves me out.:bitching:
Oh yeah, if there were cleaning products in use during our visits, my wife would have to leave asap. She's one of those hyper-sensitive types. For real, it would make her sick. And talk about the shower rule, I posted in another thread just last week, as I was getting out of the pool at the YMCA, I saw a guy exit the sauna, literally dripping/oozing sweat and walk right into the hot tub. Seriously.
If I were you I'd just quit and join somewhere else. My current team swims at several different facilities; I have no problem with any of them. Once I belonged to a place that had several practices I didn't agree with or thought were unsafe. I talked to the management one time. They really didn't want to do anything about these problems, and didn't see them as a problem. I immediately quit after this conversation and I've never regretted it.
I remember, when swimming in the 1960s, the pool attendant would pour two buckets of powdered chlorine into the pool while we were in the water.
At our pool today, the poolside is washed down with chemicals while we are swimming. The cleaners use the water from the pool and sweep everything back into the water. We've complained, and were told, "It's standard practice."
I think you ought to contact your local board of health (municipal/state) and ask them if using such chemicals in an enclosed pool, where people are breathing more heavily than usual, is in violation of established regulations. I did a quick internet search and found this among Ohio's rules (I don't live in that state). But I think most states probably have similar rules.
Ohio Public Swimming Pool and Spa Rules
Responsibilities of the licensee.
3701-31-04(B)(6)
(y) All chemicals used for the operation of a public swimming pool shall be stored properly in clearly labeled containers. No chemicals which may present a hazard to the operation of the public swimming pool or to its personnel or patrons, such as insecticides, solvents, strong oxidizers, and flammables, shall be stored or used in a way that could present such a hazard.
At my pool (it's on a military installation), at one time years ago, there was a propensity for people (those who weren't the real swimmer) to light up a cigarette right outside the main door as they were departing. Their smoke would get sucked into the ventilation system and...as I'm sure you're all aware...could easily be detected by those of us swimming. Once enough of us complained about it they set up a barrier where there was no smoking allowed.
Dan
GGS5T, I had that happen in an outdoor pool I swam in. I complained loudly enough that they stopped. All that slime and gross hardened lotions, etc. being scrubbed with comet right into the lane I was swimming in made me retch.
A lifeguard emptied a huge bag of powder into the opposite end of the lanes right before we swam a couple of months ago.
I have spoken to them, but feel they're too lax and am open to additional suggestions.
When my pool converted to salt water this Spring they dumped 15 huge bags of salt in the pool within 15 minutes while we were swimming. That night I came down with a vicious sinus infection. When I spoke to the manager, she replied, "salt is safe. You put it on your food." The world is run by idiots.
I find it surprising they would convert from chlorine to some other filtration system and not get the levels right before allowing swimmers back in the pool. Idiots indeed.
A lifeguard emptied a huge bag of powder into the opposite end of the lanes right before we swam a couple of months ago.
I have spoken to them, but feel they're too lax and am open to additional suggestions.
When my pool converted to salt water this Spring they dumped 15 huge bags of salt in the pool within 15 minutes while we were swimming. That night I came down with a vicious sinus infection. When I spoke to the manager, she replied, "salt is safe. You put it on your food." The world is run by idiots.
I think you ought to contact your local board of health (municipal/state) and ask them if using such chemicals in an enclosed pool, where people are breathing more heavily than usual, is in violation of established regulations. I did a
At my pool (it's on a military installation), at one time years ago, there was a propensity for people (those who weren't the real swimmer) to light up a cigarette right outside the main door as they were departing. Their smoke would get sucked into the ventilation system and...as I'm sure you're all aware...could easily be detected by those of us swimming. Once enough of us complained about it they set up a barrier where there was no smoking allowed.
Dan
Thanks, Dan! i will contact my Bd. of Health.
