Document briefing: Criteria for reopining swimmingpools in Catalunya

Installing portable pools on terraces or building covers sinks these structures. The Association of Technical Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Engineers of Tarragona explains why: "residential buildings are built to withstand overloads of 240 kg/m2 (...) a portable pool of about 60 cm. in height reaches 600 kg/m2 (...)". Don't worry, the Generalitat has drawn up a document for the reopening of NON-portable swimming pools and Finques Feliu lists their main measures.

Cleaning and disinfection before opening the installation:

- There will be a cleaning and disinfection plan that responds to the characteristics of each installation

- The washbasins, showers, changing rooms and areas where bathers pass, as well as the auxiliary material of classes, the perimeter fence of the glass and all the furniture are cleaned with detergent.

- The cleaned surfaces will be disinfected: the disinfectant products used must be registered in the Register of Non-Agricultural Pesticides or in the Official Register of Biocides of the General Directorate of Public Health, Quality and Innovation of the Ministry of Health.

- You can also use 0.1% bleach, which should be prepared with a 1:50 dilution of a regular bleach with a concentration of 5%, by mixing 20 ml of bleach in 1 litre of water. This bleach solution should be prepared daily and left to act for a few minutes for effective disinfection.

- The products must be used according to the manufacturer's specifications and the resolutions of approval and labelling of the products. Safety data sheets for the chemicals used must be available.

- Different products may not be mixed or used at the same time as this could release toxic gases or generate dangerous chemical reactions. 

Conditions for access to public facilities:

- In each swimming pool there must be someone responsible for coordinating and controlling that anti-SARS-CoV2 measures are implemented.

- People with symptoms or in quarantine will not be able to access them.

- Establishment of time slots and cleaning shifts

- Hygiene protection in showers, changing rooms or lockers

- It is recommended to put bands on the floor at the entrance and at the accesses to indicate the interpersonal distance

Capacity:

- Both indoors and outdoors, a safety space of 2.5 m2 per person is required. However, in accordance with the Technical Building Code, 4 m2 per person must be guaranteed in the areas where users stay in open-air pools. If the distance cannot be maintained, it is compulsory to wear a mask

- It must be ensured that there will be no accumulation of people in transit areas

Toilets:

- Check that soap with dispenser and hydro-alcoholic solutions, single-use paper and wastebaskets with lid and pedal are available at all times

Dressing rooms:

- An individual space of 3m2 will be guaranteed

- It is recommended to fix the doors to keep them open

Rules to be enabled for the safety of users: 

- Make available a hand disinfection system (water-alcohol gel dispenser) at the entrance of the facility

- It is recommended to give a bag for the dirty material, which should be deposited closed in a trash can at the entrance of the enclosure

- Encourage payment by credit card or mobile applications

- Children over the age of 6 should wear a mask outdoors and indoors for public use

Ventilation of enclosed spaces:

- Before opening the pool, increase ventilation in enclosed spaces, especially in: changing rooms, toilets and technical rooms.

- It is recommended that exterior doors and windows be opened to increase air circulation before cleaning and disinfecting the space.

- If the ventilation is mechanical, the system must be kept in a good state of maintenance, cleaning and disinfection

Frequent cleaning and disinfection of the facilities:

- In areas where you are or are transited at least twice a day in: dressing rooms, toilets, lockers, showers, etc.

- On surfaces in contact with the hands of the users: door handles, washbasins, taps, buttons, showers, railings, etc

- At the end of the shifts, this will be done in the common areas and the shared material must be cleaned and disinfected in each shift

- At the end of the day, the entire facility will be disinfected

- The bins should be emptied frequently and cleaned once a day.

- It is important to avoid sharing hammocks

For water treatment and disinfection

Take into account the Decree 95/2000 of "Normes sanitàries aplicables a piscines d'ús públic" of which we put here the link.

And three factors:

- The regulation of the pH, essential for an effective disinfection

- Disinfection, minimum concentration of residual disinfectant depends on the type of pool and disinfectant used

- The turbidity

Swimming pools in communities of owners

It is not a mistake of Finques Feliu here the document is extremely sparing. In the swimming pools of communities of owners three things have to be specially watched: 

- The cleaning and disinfection of the common spaces

- Proper maintenance and control of water quality

- Prevent crowding

With this we have completed the exhaustive review of the document.

We wish that this article will be useful for you