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For those operators who have not had time to review and prepare comments for the October 14th deadline, please review and submit the following documents. Members of the WWA's Government Relations & Safety Committees have prepared comments on both the Lifeguarding & Bather Supervision Module & Annex, as well as the Facility Design & Contruction Module. WWA urges members to fill in their contact information on each form and submit them to: MAHC@cdc.gov.

MAHC Comment Form - Lifeguarding & Bather Supervision Module
MAHC Comment Form - Lifeguarding & Bather Supervision Annex
MAHC Comment Form - Facility Design & Construction Module

The latest modules for the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) has been posted for public comment. The WWA believes that language and provision in both of these new modules presents significant challenges to waterpark facility operators. In fact, much of what is contained within them does not apply to waterpark attractions and would create unsafe practices and environments rather than improve safety. Owner and operators are urged to read through both the Module text and the Annex text to gain a better understanding before submitting comments by the deadline. 

The deadline for public comment on Lifeguarding & Bather Supervision and Facility Design & Construction Modules have been extended. It is now October 14, 2012

MAHC Lifeguarding & Bather Supervision Module
Health and safety issues related to bather supervision and lifeguarding for both the patron and the potential rescuer of an aquatic facility are increasingly being documented. The Lifeguarding and Bather Supervision Module is a first step towards improving the consistency in training, lifeguard management and supervision, lifeguard competency for guarded facilities and proper bather supervision at unguarded facilities. The Lifeguarding and Bather Supervision Module contains requirements for unguarded and guarded aquatics along with the training necessary to be a qualified lifeguard. The module includes:

• Standards for which aquatic facilities need to be guarded and which may not need to have professional lifeguard supervision but are still supervised.
• An Aquatic Facilities Safety Plan guide including pre-service, in-service, staffing, single lifeguard, lifeguard management and Emergency Action Plan requirements.
• Requirements for aquatic facilities to define, diagram, and document required zones of patron surveillance.
• Determination of what constitutes proper staffing by the ability of the lifeguard to reach all areas of their zone of patron surveillance within a certain time frame.
• Required lifesaving equipment, communications standards, and general requirements for lifeguards and lifeguard supervision/management training.

To review this module, click here.

To review the Annex to this module, click here.

MAHC Facility Design & Construction Module
Aquatic facility operation and maintenance is a critical component of maintaining health and safety. Past outbreaks have commonly found operation and maintenance lapses to be critical contributors to disease outbreaks and injuries. The Facility Maintenance and Operation Module lays the foundation for operational improvement by containing requirements for:

• Closure and reopening guidance for long and short term closures
• Comprehensive plans for preventive maintenance, equipment inventorying, and development of an operations manual to be maintained at the facility
• Reducing and mitigating excessive glare and reflection on the pool surface through design and adjustments to windows and lighting equipment
• Comprehensive daily records of pool operation and maintenance and of operational items inspected daily

To review this module, click here.

To review the Annex to this module, click here.

Comments are due October 14, 2012 and must be submitted using the comment form found at the bottom the MAHC web page. All public comments ill filter back to the Technical Committee for review before the module is officially released.

To review the status of other modules or for more general information on the MAHC, visit the CDC's web page.

Background Information:
In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an effort to develop a model code document addressing health and safety in public swimming pools.

The need for such a project was evident when reviews of existing swimming pool codes across the country revealed a wide and inconsistent range of specifications and ‘standards’, all in the interest of public health.  Some states were identified as having no rules or code at all.  Some simply copied similar documents in circulation without understanding or knowing the validity of source materials.

The CDC has established 12 technical committees who are charged with developing a “scientifically based model code that is national in scope, data driven, user friendly, updated on a continuous basis, and includes input from all sectors of public health, all segments of the aquatics industry, and the general public”.  Technical Committee procedures, structures and membership are posted on the CDC website.

A key part of the MAHC development process will lie in public response to various modules of the code as they are proposed by the technical committees.  Proposed Modules are posted at on the CDC website.

In the interest of keeping our membership currently posted with current information on the standard, the Association has established an “INDUSTRY SUPPORT COMMITTEE” (ISC).  This group is charged with responsibility to keep the WWA and its membership informed of needed action by the waterpark sector of the aquatics industry to assure the MAHC is a valid and beneficial document.

The ISC is anchored by a small group of persons having outstanding reputations and broad experience in all of the issues the MAHC will address. These ‘senior advisors’ are supported by selected persons of relevant experience and reputation in dealing with specific aspects of the code development. The support team will feed information back to the senior advisors who will collect requests for action by WWA and its membership on an ‘as needed’ basis. All members of the ISC will continuously monitor the CDC web site to make certain our technical support activity reaches the MAHC Technical Committees on a timely basis.

Persons interested in participating in this process should contact: Wally James at conserv1@mindspring.com or 770.634.0143 for more information.