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Hot tubs, sometimes called whirlpool baths or spas, are being installed in more private homes and summer cabins in British Columbia. If you have a hot tub or pool, follow the health and safety tips below.
Hot tubs and whirlpool baths can provide a fertile breeding ground for a number of bacteria that can cause infection or disease. This includes the Legionella bacteria that cause Legionnaires' Disease, which can be fatal. As well, the Pseudomonas bacteria can cause a number of serious infections, such as severe skin rashes, eye and ear infections, and pneumonia. These bacteria can be easily controlled and removed by maintaining the disinfectant level of the water.
To make your hot tub as safe and enjoyable as possible, always consider the following precautions.
Keep the tub clean and the water disinfected
It is the owner's responsibility to ensure the hot tub is clean and the water is properly disinfected to prevent the spread of disease. It is important to maintain the proper level of disinfectant to ensure clean and safe water in hot tubs and pools. Chlorine is the most commonly used disinfectant. The more a hot tub is used, the faster the disinfectant in the water gets used.
Therefore, before and after use you should check and add chlorine or other disinfectant if it is low. For more information on disinfectants and water quality, see BC HealthFile #27b Hot Tubs: Safe Water Quality.
To help keep pools clean, you should also drain and scrub them with a bleach solution at least monthly, more often for heavily used pools. Filters and pumping systems should be cleaned and serviced on a regular basis.
Bacteria and dirt on surfaces may enter the tub with you. Always keep surfaces and decks around the hot tub clean. Steam condensing under the lid can be a perfect place for many bacteria to live, so it should be wiped off with a bleach solution.
Always shower or bathe before using a hot tub. Use soap to remove body oils. This helps keep the hot tub free of germs and uses less disinfectant as well.
Water temperature
The temperature should never exceed 104° F or 40° C. Staying or bathing in hot water for a long time can cause severe heat-related illnesses and even death.
Pregnant women
Pregnant women may be at higher risk of overheating when they are in a hot tub or hot water. Generally, pregnant women should stay in a hot tub for only 10 minutes - or less if they start to feel uncomfortable.
Excessive heat and lengthy soaks should be avoided. Make sure to lower the temperature to below 38.9° C or 102° F. Ask an adult to help you in and out of the hot tub. You should get out immediately if you feel dizzy or faint or if you have a rapid pulse, irregular heartbeat, stomach pain or tingling in the hands or feet.
Children are at higher risk
All hot tub and pools should have restricted access to prevent drowning.
Children are at higher risk of overheating than adults. Parents should not let their children stay in hot tubs for more than five minutes at a time. Toddlers and babies are most at risk to over-heating and should not be permitted in the hot tub.
Small children are also at higher risk of getting trapped underwater by the suction from an outlet opening. To help prevent this, all pool outlets should have a screen over them.
Parents must supervise their children at all times. Most hot tub accidents involving children occur when the children are not supervised, or while their supervisors are distracted, even for a brief moment.
Know where the shut-off switch to the pump is located.
Alcohol and drugs increase risk
Alcoholic beverages and some drugs can cause drowsiness. They can also lower the body's resistance to the effects of overheating. Most adult accidents are alcohol or drug related.
Walk, do not run
Pools are slippery places. Do not allow running around the edges of the pool. Be careful getting in and out of hot tubs, as many models have very slippery sides. Handrails can reduce the risk of injuries from slips or falls. Make sure the handrails cannot trap someone under water.
For more information on the proper care and maintenance of hot tubs, contact your local environmental health officer.
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