Water Park Safety
Overview
The waterpark industry has produced an excellent track record of delivering safe family recreation. In fact, a visit to a waterpark is the safest way for families to play together in the water. Achieving these results is not as effortless as floating down a lazy river attraction, however – it takes a great amount of dedication and teamwork each day.
Annual attendance at America’s approximately 1,000 commercial and municipal waterparks has risen to more than 80 million, yet the attractions at these facilities constitute one of the safest forms of recreation available to the public. Bicycling, soccer, skiing, and numerous other similar activities lead to hundreds of thousands more injuries every year than those stemming from waterpark attractions of all types.
This record is due to many factors, the most fundamental one being that the waterpark sector is a responsible, professional industry, subject to a thorough set of internal safety checks and various independent examinations.
In addition to complying with any pertinent governmental codes and requirements, each facility designates operational and maintenance staff to work closely with its insurer in developing and implementing the newest safety procedures.
Through programs relating to maintenance, operations, and personnel training, facilities are actively and constantly engaged in promoting safety. Waterparks divide their inspection and maintenance programs into hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly activities. They follow detailed manufacturer guidelines, and many use outside specialty companies to periodically re-inspect attractions.
Additionally, nationwide industry standards covering such areas as design, operations, water quality, and staffing have been completed (American National Standards Institute) or will soon be (ASTM International). These independent standards-writing bodies have incorporated the expertise of various parties in their work. The combined results will provide consensus-based guidelines for adoption by facilities in augmenting their best practices and by state & local officials interested in further oversight of the industry.
Lifeguard Training
Waterparks make safety the top priority in staff training, and today’s professional lifeguards are trained to deliver an increasingly high standard of care. Crucial to these efforts is the industry’s widespread use of formalized operational practices and programs. Only after lifeguards earn the required authorization through this training process are they then permitted to staff an attraction.
Employees are trained using procedures established by the facility working together with accreditation organizations (Ellis & Associates, Red Cross, NASCO, or YMCA), manufacturers, and insurers, and in accordance with relevant public laws. Training products and guidelines from industry groups are also used. These research-based processes are constantly documented, standardized, practiced, and upgraded.
Instructional areas cover water safety, CPR, first aid, and crowd control, and can also include use of automated external defibulators & backboards, and oxygen delivery. Consequently, waterpark lifeguards are well-trained in responding not only to water-related emergencies, but in spotting and reacting to life-threatening medical situations as well.
In-service training is on a continual basis and covers such specific operational aspects as guest service, scanning & vigilance techniques, safe water entry/exit, incident recognition, and rescue procedures, plus physical conditioning drills. In addition, staff are subject to surprise audits and participate in emergency simulations, including periodic practice with local first-response authorities.
Water Quality
First-class water quality is also at the heart of any waterpark, and is thus regularly evaluated and maintained. Facilities work with outside consultants and government agencies to meet the highest public health standards.
Cases of water-borne illnesses at waterparks are extremely rare, and extraordinary measures are taken to keep this record intact. This is especially true in the prevention of cryptosporidium (KRIP-toe-spo-rid-ee-um) contamination.
Waterpark managers are well aware of the challenges posed by “crypto” and have been proactive in aggressively promoting prevention techniques that can stop contamination before it starts by way of sound hygienic practices.
Personnel are trained to observe that infants and young children entering the water have on specially-designed disposable swimwear, which prevents leakage. Many facilities keep this type of swimwear available on-site, further encouraging parents to join with staff in implementing these rules.
Moreover, certified specialists test the water regularly throughout the day, using state and local codes, to confirm that bacteria-fighting chemicals remain in constant balance.
It should be emphasized that waterparks view the prevention of disease transmission as a partnership with their patrons. Waterpark patrons are encouraged to learn more about how they can help ensure the safe enjoyment of aquatic facilities for themselves as well as their fellow guests. Those planning to visit a waterpark this summer should take a moment to visit the CDC’s Healthy Swimming website at www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming and learn more about how they can have fun safely this summer.
The CDC recommends all swimmers be vigilant in following three basic guidelines to prevent disease transmission:
1. Do not swim if you have diarrhea. This is especially important for children in diapers.
2. Do NOT swallow the pool water. Try to avoid getting water in your mouth if possible.
3. Practice good hygiene and shower before swimming. Also, wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing diapers.
In addition to these steps, the CDC has issued these additional recommendations for parents with young children:
1. Take your children to the bathroom often throughout the day.
2. Change diapers in a bathroom and away from the pool. Germs can be spread from objects around the pool.
3. Wash your child thoroughly with soap and water before going swimming.
In the realm of information sharing, there are protocols involving waterparks, manufacturers, and government agencies that result in the reporting of possible or actual problems regarding guest safety. Regularly scheduled safety seminars held by manufacturers and industry associations such as IAAPA also allow for the broad dissemination of relevant expertise and data through discussion of the latest advances, standards, and techniques.
Guest/Facility Partnership
Utilizing Guest Relations offices, website information, signage, and verbal commands, facilities work to enlist their visitors as partners in safety, especially with regard to heeding any height, weight, skill level, and health restrictions. This partnership is particularly important in light of the wider scope of guest freedom inherent in waterpark attractions as compared to amusement rides.
Additionally, many facilities offer swimming lessons and water safety training. The industry also encourages children and weak swimmers to wear Coast Guard-approved Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs), which are often offered on-site.
Attraction Design
Design technology in the waterpark industry is more sophisticated than ever, and this evolution contributes to greater safety as well. The introduction of computers, advanced materials, and various production innovations has resulted in an increasingly rigorous, complex, and precise creative process.
Perhaps the most crucial of the above-mentioned advances is the computer and its far-reaching impact on design, manufacture, and operation. Designers employ modeling software to manipulate a large number of elements quickly and easily, thus optimizing an attraction’s final layout and providing a more complete analysis of its performance and structural integrity. In addition, computer-based manufacturing techniques have made the fabrication of various components even more technically precise. Computers have also positively influenced attractions operation, as waterpark personnel use control units and sensors to maximize safety and efficiency.
In sum, the single aim of all of these practices, programs, and procedures is a safe and entertaining visit to a waterpark for every guest. This is the industry’s long-standing obligation to its patrons, one that it readily and willingly strives to fulfill each day.