Good Practice for Swimming Pools

We can all contribute to good standards of hygiene when swimming.

After all, we all share the same water. It’s everyone’s responsibility to stick to good practice. This includes:

• Eating before swimming – it is advised that swimmers do not eat for 2hrs before attend swimming and swimming lessons, parents are responsible for ensuring that children follow this guidance.
• Pre and post-swim showers – most people know they’re supposed to have a shower after swimming. But it’s also important to shower before you enter the water. A pre-swim shower makes us nice and clean before swimming. The cleaner we are, the cleaner the water is. And for parents, it’s your responsibility to make sure the whole family showers before swimming.
• Go to the toilet before swimming – and showering. It’s best to use the toilet facilities first.
• Not swimming after diarrhoea or any gastroenteritis illness – one of the main germs causing gastrointestinal infection is cryptosporidium, which is resistant to chlorine. This makes it vital for anyone who has been ill to stay away from pools for at least a week.
• Don’t swallow pool water – this one can be trickier for children who might get water in their mouths. Encourage your children to learn to swim with their mouths closed.
• Be cautious with young children – for any children that aren’t yet toilet trained, it’s best to get them to wear leak-proof swimwear where possible or purchase a disposable swim nappy from reception. Some pools might also recommend staying within smaller pools due to the warmer water in the smaller pools.
• Don’t swim if you feel sick or have open wounds – swimming with a suppressed immune system won’t do you any favours and could spread germs to others too. Similarly, wounds will not only be susceptible to infection, but will spread germs.
• Take care if you wear contact lenses – no swimmers should get water in their eyes, but extra precautionary measures should be taken by contact lens wearers. This could include removing lenses, wearing goggles or using daily disposables.
• Consider your footwear options – plastic disposable shoe covers should be worn at all times by spectators and accompanying school teachers who view from the poolside. This will keep the poolside cleaner and prevent any foreign bodies from being brought onto the poolside via footwear

By taking extra care, you can avoid key hygiene problems and contribute to a safe, clean swimming environment for everyone.