Model Aquatic Health Code launched in US

The US body the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released the first edition of the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC).

This landmark effort is expected to have a positive impact on the aquatics industry both in the US and globally for many years to come.

The MAHC is the first voluntary guideline in the US based on scientific research and best practice to improve health and safety at aquatic facilities. The code can be used by US state and local governments to create a pool code that will help reduce the risk of outbreaks, drownings and injuries. Created in a collaborative effort by volunteers from public health, academia and industry, the MAHC is an exciting step forward for the aquatics industry.

Every five or 10 years, US health departments contact stakeholders and experts to ask for input on the town, city, county or state code. A group of people meet for many hours over several months to debate everything from changing depth marking specs, entrapment devices, cyanuric acid levels, circulation rates, water replacement versus reduced backwashing, chemical feeder rates, and whether operators should be trained.

Their predecessors are questioned as the new committee tries to figure out why they chose what they did in the past. The process repeats itself regularly as new health official calls a group together to reassess the code.

This process has now been replaced by a science-based standard that includes all the supporting rationale for the code. It is a public domain (free) guideline everyone can debate, refine and adopt.

Last year there were 300 million trips to pools or other swimming locations in the US.

Keep informed with the free SPLASH! newsletter or follow SPLASH! on social media:Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.