March 25, 2026: Every change requires a risk assessment
Greetings,
A few weeks ago, I attended a World Waterpark Association (WWA) webinar entitled "Ride Vehicle Best Practices."
One of the reasons I joined WWA is because I consistently learn so much from the waterpark side of our industry. I've never worked in a water park, and - as you can imagine - it's a pool on steroids both in terms of size and the complexity of business operations. Instead of four lifeguards on a shift, you have 30+ staff members ranging from slide attendants and store clerks to line cooks, security guards, and everything in between. In addition to different bodies of water, you also have other injury focal points like playgrounds, deep fryers, heat/sun, alcohol and everything in between.
Getting back to the webinar, the presentation was about different aspects of tubes and rafts (ride vehicles) to go down water slides. I thought I'd learned everything there is to know a few years ago at a different session that discussed monitoring & tracking [air] inflation. Well, let me tell you: I now know I knew NOTHING about managing water slide ride vehicles!
This session about things ranging from dating when you bring tubes into service; calibrating slides to the tubes themselves, and not mixing tubes across slides; managing inventory (damage to tubes left out in the sun, contact points like wet leaf rot and mouse nests); water flow and slide geometry; environmental conditions (e.g. dry vs. humid use environments); illicit repairs (e.g. patches change friction!!); how to instruct riders to grip handles correctly and improve dispatch instruction retention...to say nothing of all the individual manufacturer guidance.
The main takeaway I had from this session: every single operational change requires a risk assessment, including those that are the result of unintentional modification.
One of the speakers spoke to the fact that too many water parks operate where they only do a risk assessment when there is a "substantial" change. He argued that even the smallest detail such as a bather/rider only gripping one tube handle (when they're meant to hold two, per the manufacturer) can impact a facility's liability. We don't want to be paranoid, but we should be lowering our threshold: all change has the potential to be substantial.
I've said it repeatedly, but it's worth restating: water parks are the shining example of what we as "regular" poolies SHOULD be doing because they are a magnet for lawsuits, even if only scurrilous. As I consistently see from American colleagues: onboarding new staff, operational documentation, workplace health & safety compliance, etc. must be dialed in if you're only a split second away from a $2m lawsuit.
So as you go through the next few weeks at work or prepare for summer outdoor pool season, consider every operational change or system implementation as having the potential to be substantial in its impact - positive or negative - on staff & guests.
I had some pretty detailed questions recently about chlorine loss in the presence of sunlight (UV rays). I sit on a number of committees with Dr. Roy Vore, and he pointed to this book. I was able to get a used copy on eBay for $30 as opposed to the newest version for $150 on Amazon.
We are only eight weeks away from outdoor pool season. April & May Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes are our busiest time of the year, so please consider registering early to avoid disappointment. All Zoom classes are capped for quality assurance.
April
April 20-23, 2026
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May 12, 2026
May 25-28, 2026
NEW! Anonymous Advice Column
People are always asking for help or my opinion, but sometimes they're too embarrassed to ask in the first place. I've started an advice column. Please feel welcome to submit any & all questions HERE without any judgement.
CORRECTION: Last week I stated that a pool suction entrapment recently occurred in Pennsylvania. I was mistaken: it was a Pennsylvania family claiming it occurred while on vacation to Mexico almost a year ago. For some reason it's hard to find many quality references to this incident.
Here's everything else I've been reading in the pool industry this week:
Fort St. John city council to discuss $185M estimate for new pool
Popular Houston-area waterpark hiring hundreds for summer season
Hong Kong artist inspired by swimming pools invites you to slow down
This is really fun!
When the Grid Goes Dark: How to manage power outages
Includes a nice checklist at the bottom of the article.
Opposition mounts to hydrotherapy barge plan for public dock at Vancouver Maritime Museum
HAVN currently has a location on an old military barge moored in Victoria Harbor.
MSC Cruises Adding Expanded Waterpark and Redesigned Pools to New Ship
I guess I need to start booking MSC!
There’s Only One Reason to Cold Plunge
Click here to read it without a paywall.
Understanding the Big 3 Water Sanitizers: Ozone, UV and AOP
This is an older article, but it came up in the course of discussion recently on an NSF committee regarding supplemental disinfectants.
Swiss swimming pool told it can ban non-residents
Any organization is entitled to restrict access to certain user groups, but I do wonder how this will be physically implemented at the access point to the facility.
'Baywatch' cast spotted training for new series reboot
Aquarabia: Middle East’s largest water park opens soft launch in Qiddiya
Unfortunately, the situation in Iran has substantially dampened the fanfare behind this $750m facility finally opening after nearly a decade of development.
Passenger’s Poolside Fall Sparks Lawsuit Against Norwegian Cruise Line
I haven't been on a Norwegian cruise ship yet (I'm booked for January 2027), but many non-pool areas of cruise ships easily become wet because passengers spend all day in their bathing suit.
Summer camp safety records: A call for transparency after 5-year-old nearly drowns
Cuts to lifeguards at Vancouver beaches prompt calls for water safety
We'll see you in April!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. The audio version of last week's newsletter is available here.