It has definitely been a crazy couple of years with Covid-19. Not to mention the fires that happened in chemical factories. With boats having to be quarantined and docked for 14 days prior to unloading, it’s no wonder we are having supply issues. These issues include but are not limited to, chlorine and other sanitizers, automation systems, pumps and other equipment, valves or other PVC-related items, etc. You may have a shortage in your region that I didn’t cover. One that I haven’t mentioned yet, and based on my research, seems to be Nationwide is the shortage of employees! I don’t know about you, but I am lucky if I can get someone to show up for an INTERVIEW, let alone hire team members. So we are forced to work with the public pool staff we have.
As swimming pool and aquatic facility operators, we still have the same responsibilities and duties we have always had. We have a standard of health we simply must comply with not only to keep our pools open and our bosses and clients happy, but to protect the health of the bathers. This is the most important and why we do all we do to keep our aquatic venues running smoothly. So what can we do to keep up the level of care required with fewer hands on deck?
Proper Training of Public Pool Staff
Making sure your team is properly trained will allow you to get the most from your employees, regardless of how many you have. Make sure all accountable employees are up to snuff on the health department regulations. Make sure they know how to handle an AFC (accidental fecal release). Make sure they are knowledgeable in all aspects that are required to keep your body of water open. This not only gives you peace of mind when you aren’t there but helps ensure your pool won’t get shut down. One well-trained employee is more valuable than three half-arsed ones.
As far as staying compliant, the Pool Shark H20 App makes life easier. It saves time. It will do the calculations and logging in 60 seconds flat. This ensures your team knows exactly what they need to put into the swimming pool water and keeps the health department happy because it will be properly stored in your pool log. AFR? No worries. The Pool Shark H20 App has instructions on what to do.
Keep Things Simplified at Your Public Pool
Since we are running short-handed, we want to try to focus on the urgent, necessary tasks at hand first. Safety is always our number one priority. This includes proper water chemistry, proper signage, functioning ADA equipment, secure handrails, dive markers, etc. It sounds like a lot, but the only one that will vary from day to day is water chemistry. A properly balanced pool is crucial to having clear, inviting, and safe water for your swimmers. If done incorrectly, this can waste money, pose a risk, and waste time. Which is not something we have the luxury of wasting. Well, we don’t want to waste any of the aforementioned.
The simple to use Pool Shark H20 App will give you tons of benefits, with very little training. Its simple-to-use design gets, and logs your water test results in seconds. It lets whoever is conducting the test know exactly what needs to be added to the water to correct any imbalances. And you are covered when a surprise visit from your friendly health inspector happens.
Delegate Fairly as You Manage Public Pool Staffing
Since we have fewer employees, it can be tempting to just dump a lot of tasks onto your star employee. This may be yourself. Overwhelming a person leads to job-related stress and oftentimes, mistakes. Try to make sure as many of your employees (that are qualified) are capable of the day-to-day tasks required to operate your facility. This will allow you to evenly distribute the workload so no one or 2 people have to do it all. Only have 1-2 people? The same principle goes. First things first and keep it simple.
Luckily, as a user of the Pool Shark H20 App, you can rest at ease that your water will always be balanced and logged. We do not want our pool to get shut down. Many bosses tend to frown upon that.
To Keep Public Pools Staffed - Engage in Continous Recruiting
Try different ways of finding employees to hire. Ask your current staff if they know anyone looking for a job. Advertise on Craigslist and Indeed type sights. Even Facebook has hiring platforms. Ask your supplier to post a flier and spread the word. Be willing to train someone who may not have any experience. If they have a good history of quality work ethic, and are honest and reliable, they may be worth investing in training. That is our philosophy at my place of business.
Whatever your current situation is, never stop being grateful for the people and amenities you do have. Hopefully a well-trained team and the Pool Shark H20 App! See you poolside!
More Pool Opening Resources
Competition Pool Safety - Getting Your Pool Ready for Competition
Things to Think About with Lifeguard Recruitment
