The following is an extract from The Daily Telegraph from 09/08/04. A mother was recovering from face and eye injuries after chemicals she was using to clean a swimming pool exploded. Louise Mills, 36, was enjoying the early evening sun with her children, aged nine and 10, and her mother at home near Battle, East Sussex, when the accident happened. She had mixed a bucket of chemicals to pour into the pool when it exploded in her face. Although she accepts she did not correctly follow the instructions, she says the labelling did not warn of the possibility of an explosion.
All of the chemicals used to clean and maintain your pool are hazardous so treat them with respect.
Never mix pool chemicals together outside of the pool-water. Pool-acid will react with any compound of chlorine to produce chlorine gas. This gas is poisonous and the fatal dose for humans is 150ppm for 1 hour. Chlorine gas supports combustion, just like oxygen. A build-up of chlorine gas in your storage area has the potential to support a fire or, in confined spaces, an explosion. Chlorine and acid burn human skin on contact.
Place containers of liquid chemicals in rubber buckets when transporting them to avoid chemical burns to your car interior and place tubs of chlorine in plastic sacks. Ensure that chemicals cannot mix together.
Pool chemicals must be labelled clearly and stored in the shade away from each other to avoid the possibility of accidental cross-contamination. Keep liquid acid in a rubber bucket 2 metres from chlorine compounds. Replace lids to containers after use and that your kids and pets cannot come into accidental contact with the containers. Sweep spilled chemicals up separately to avoid the risk of chemical fires. Wear old clothes, goggles and rubber gloves when dosing your pool. Measure liquids into a plastic container before pouring into the pool-water. Dissolve powdered or granulated products in water before adding to the pool. Always wash your hands after handling pool chemicals.
Super chlorinate fortnightly - with liquid chlorine via the skimmer with the pump on; run 4 hours. Add Acid to lower pH - at the Return Jets with the pump on; run 4 hours. Add Tricloro Tablets - via the skimmer or your dosing tank. Add Algaecide as required via the skimmer with the pump on; run 4 hours. Add flocculants to a still pool, allow to settle overnight and then vacuum to WASTE.
POOL CHEMICALS ARE DANGEROUS - TAKE PRECAUTIONS - BE SAFE.
Extracted and adapted from Deep Blue Pools own Pool School Book. Copyright remains with Author.
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Deep Blue Pools, Alhaurin el Grande, 952 594 393
Copyright Ken Walker, Deep Blue Pools, July 2006