Nelson_IDRL308_assignment1

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School

Athabasca University, Calgary *

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Course

308

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Health Science

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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1 Workplace Description and work performed: Pine Falls pool is a public outdoor swimming facility which is comprised of a 4-10ft deep 25m swimming pool and a separately fenced wading pool for young children. There is one main building which includes a male and female dressing room with benches, hooks, communal shower, and separate bathroom stalls. There is one entrance from the pool deck and an emergency exit door in each. Between the 2 change rooms there is a lobby area and a glass enclosed office space where patrons pay staff and staff can take breaks and lunches. The pool deck is concrete with a narrow (4ft strip) of grass on the exterior side of the pool deck and behind the diving board. There are 2 lifeguard chairs, one on each side positioned in the middle of the pool length. There are 2 wooden benches at the shallow end with a 15ft-by-15ft grass area behind them for patrons. On the end of the building next to the female change room there is an enclosed pump room with steel doors that remain locked and always closed. Inside the pump room there is a large 4.5ft tall open vat on the right-hand side when entering, where the liquid chlorine is added into circulating water along with pipes leading from the vat to the wall behind it and down to the floor. This newly chlorinated water enters the pipes that run under the pool deck and enter the swimming pool. There are also pipes which bring water from the pool into the vat to be filtered and sent back to the swimming pool. There is one small window on the left side wall approximately 14” by 16” in size that always remains closed. There is an emergency shut off switch to the pump to the left of the door as well as a fire extinguisher. Jugs of liquid chlorine are stored in the pump room along the left side of the

2 back wall, as well as a 25ft hose used to vacuum the pool and the vacuum head and pole which is approximately 12ft long. Additionally, lane ropes and buoys are stored in the pump room, a mop and bucket, brooms, and other cleaning supplies such as floor soap and disinfectants. Pine falls pool staff consist of one swimming instructor and four to six lifeguards. Swimming instructors are responsible for teaching swimming lessons starting at 6:00 AM until noon Monday through Friday as well as adult lessons from 8:00 PM till 9:00 PM. Lifeguards work 1pm to 9pm 7 days a week, in pairs of 2, and are responsible to ensure patrons safety inside and outside the pool, to administer first aid and interact with patrons, provide information and education about hours, costs, programs being offered, lessons etc. They also complete membership applications and receive patron payment, clean change rooms, showers, and bathrooms which includes sweeping and washing all floors, disinfecting showers, toilets, and sinks. They ensure the pool deck is hazard free and pool rules are followed by all patrons. Lifeguards are also responsible to test pool water daily for ph. levels, chlorine levels and adjust the amount of chlorine entering the pool multiple times a day, occasionally pouring liquid chlorine from large jugs directly into the pool to shock cloudy water. Additionally, they must use the provided 12ft nets to clean the pool water multiple times a day, clean all pool skimmers daily, removing any dead reptiles or small animals that are in them. Every Sunday morning one staff is responsible to start work at 9 am and ensure chemical supplies are adequate, submit requests for cleaning supplies and chlorine, flush the pump system, hook up the 25ft hose to the pool vacuum system and head and clean the concrete pool bottom and walls of any algae.

3 This hazard report will be limited to hazards found in the Pine Falls Pool pump room. Hazard #1 The first hazard identified is an ergonomic hazard and involves the requirement of staff to lift heavy jugs of liquid chlorine on a regular basis (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). The jugs weigh approximately 40lbs each and staff are expected to lift them approximately 5 ft high to pour the liquid chlorine into the open pump system’s vat or carry them to the poolside and pour it directly into the pool. The process of heavy lifting every shift creates a possible risk of injury like back and shoulder injuries such as strains, sprains, muscle or tendon and ligament tears (CCOHS, 2023-01). These injuries may not generally be considered significant, but they can have long lasting effects for the worker (CCOHS, 2023-01). With staff performing heavy lifting tasks daily, it makes it possible that injury will occur (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). To address the above hazard, a substitution control should be implemented, with a different form of chlorine sourced such as chlorine pucks, which would eliminate the need to lift any jugs (CCOHS, 2023-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). The implementation of substitution control is the most effective at removing the lifting hazard as the pucks are small, light weight and easily handled by a single staff person (CCOHS, 2023-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). If an appropriate product could not be found, an engineering control should be applied in the form of installing mechanical lifting equipment that would potentially eliminate the need for staff to lift the jugs 4.5ft high (CCOHS, 2023-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). In the immediate, an administrative control should also be implemented in the form of lift training and having two

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4 staff perform the necessary heavy lifting (CCOHS, 2023-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). The implementation of lift training doesn’t eliminate the hazard but rather puts the onus on the staff person to adhere to training to reduce the hazard (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). This is less effective and should not be relied upon as the only method to control a hazard (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). It is imperative that staff are further trained to use mechanical aids for lifting and educated on how they work once they are installed, and an additional hazard assessment is completed to ensure new hazards introduced into the workplace are identified and remedied (CCOHS, 2023-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Hazard #2 The second hazard identified is the chemical hazard present when working with liquid chlorine (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Staff are pouring the liquid chlorine at a height that would put them at risk of spilling or splashing the chlorine on themselves or getting it in their eyes. This risk could result in chemical burns to the skin and eyes, illnesses or toxicity resulting from the absorption of chlorine through the skin (CCOHS, 2018-02; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Liquid chlorine is highly corrosive and will irritate or burn skin resulting in the possibility of permanent scars as a result (CCOHS, 2018-02). In a case of chlorine contacting the eyes. it may result in permanent damage such as blindness or long-term eye damage (CCOHS, 2023-02). Additionally, the proximity of staff’s faces to the chlorine put them at risk of inhalation injury such as respiratory distress, pulmonary edema which is a build up of fluid in the lungs, or reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) which is a form of asthma because of inhaling chemical fumes (CCOHS, 2018-02; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Inhalation of chlorine gas can be highly toxic with Inhalation of concentrations of higher levels (>15 ppm) potentially leading to death

5 (CCOHS, 2018-02) . Staff are exposed to high levels of chlorine daily making it probable that injury or illness will occur (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Based on the above hazard assessment a substitution control should be implemented with the open chlorination system replaced by a closed system that does not use liquid chlorine (CCOHS, 2018-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). This would allow the liquid chlorine to be replace by small chlorine pucks that would eliminate the hazard of liquid chlorine splashing on skin, clothing and in eyes (CCOHS, 2018-01). It would also reduce the risk of inhalation as dry chlorine pucks do not produce vapour (CCOHS, 2018-01). Additionally, an administrative control should be implemented that requires all workers to complete WHMIS training as well as a PPE requirement for all staff which should include masks, goggles, gloves, and aprons to lower the risk of chlorine getting on the skin, clothing, in the eyes and possibly being inhaled (CCOHS, 2023-02; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). An elimination control in which the chlorination system is completely closed, and liquid chlorine delivered and pumped into a closed storage vat which automatically adds chlorine to the pool would be far too costly for a small community pool to implement so the next best option to eliminate a hazard would be a substitution control (CCOHS, 2018-01; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Supporting the substitution control with administrative policies and PPE would be the most effective in this workplace (Foster & Barnetson, 2016).

6 Hazard #3 The third hazard identified is a physical hazard due to the lack of ventilation in the pump room (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). There is no industrial ventilation or exhaust system and no source for clean fresh air from the exterior to remove any airborne gases or contaminants or to disperse any heat buildup (CCOHS, 2018-05). The small window does not open, and the steel door must always remain closed, including when staff are working in the room, for patron safety. The lack of open windows, doors and a proper industrial ventilation system causes chemical vapours to be present in the air (CCOHS, 2023-02) . It also allows the small room to reach high temperatures which can cause a build up of vapours within containers of stored liquid chlorine which increases the risk of inhalation exposure (CCOHS, 2018-02). Low levels of exposure to liquid chlorine fumes can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, and is a lung irritant which often results in coughing (CCOHS, 2023-02). A severe short-term exposure that could result from a stored jug leaking, can lead to long term significant injury (CCOHS, 2023-02) . T he development of pulmonary edema may be delayed for several hours after exposure to chlorine and can result in death (CCOHS, 2023-02) . Additionally, exposure to chlorine fumes can lead to RADS, a type of asthma, symptoms may include shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and wheezing. (CCOHS, 2023-02) . Staff are required to be in the pump room on a frequent basis which means it is probable that staff will be at risk of injury (Foster & Barnetson, Findings from above hazard assessment suggest an engineering control should be applied in the form of an industrial exhaust system with appropriate back up systems (CCOHS, 2023-02; Foster & Barnetson, 2016) . This would ensure that any contaminants in the air are pulled out of the pump room and fresh air is brought in by an intake system (CCOHS, 2018-05).

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7 Applying a substitution control to the type of chlorine and the amount stored within the pump room would eliminate the presence of vapour in the air from liquid chlorine as well (CCOHS, 2018-05; Foster & Barnetson, 2016). Additionally, administrative controls in conjunction with the engineering control should be implemented. Administrative controls could include training such as WHMIS, working alone procedures with check in, requiring windows to be accessible and open along with doors for a period before staff enter and PPE controls such as respirators/masks to reduce potential exposure to any hazards in the air should be used alongside the presence of an exhaust system (CCOHS, 2023-02; Foster & Barnetson, 2016) . While administrative controls and PPE could be used in conjunction with the engineering control they shouldn’t be relied on as the primary control. They are less effective, controlling worker behaviour and access to a hazard and places the burden of hazard control on the worker (Foster & Barnetson, 2016). An engineering control supported by administrative procedures/policies and PPE are the most appropriate for an outdoor pool that is open for a limited period each year, whereas applying an elimination control would require a significant renovation or redesign of the existing building and would prove to be very costly.

8 Reference List Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (2023-02). Chlorine, https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/chlorine.html Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (2023-01) , Ergonomics , https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/inj_prev.html Canadian Centre for Occupation Health and Safety (2018 ), Health and Safety Teaching Tools, Physical Hazards: Ventilation , https://www.ccohs.ca/teach_tools/phys_hazards/ventilation.html Canadian Centre for Occupation Health and Safety (2018-01) Swimming Pool Products , https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/swimming.html Foster, J., & Barnetson, B. (2016). Health and safety in Canadian workplaces (PDF) . Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press. https://read.aupress.ca/read/02225017-0f52-4202-a91f- 7086be18d0fc/section/c4c30713-d3f5-415f-be68-b5087a16b590

Nelson_IDRL308_assignment1

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