Don’t Get Sick When Applying Pool Chemicals: Take Extra Care When Adjusting Chlorine Levels Manually

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  New Jersey. Department of Health
• Description:
  Pool staff, including lifeguards, routinely use chlorine-based products to control pH and chlorine levels of pools for disinfection. These products come in liquid solutions or in dry format (powder, granular, or tablets). State regulations require that pool operators add these chemicals through an automated system. However, manual application, adding the chemicals directly into the skimmer or deep end of the pool, is sometimes necessary. Because of their extreme pH properties - very acidic or alkaline - chlorine-based chemicals can cause respiratory irritation, even asthma, in the handler if inhaled. In 2009, a lifeguard in New Jersey manually poured 1/2 cup increments of a chlorine-based disinfectant into a pool to adjust the pH and chlorine levels. Shortly thereafter, she began coughing, wheezing, and experienced chest tightness. The lifeguard was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with asthma. She missed several days of work and has been on asthma medications ever since. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma, Occupational Chlorine Disinfectants Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Chemical Safety Occupational Asthma Respiratory Irritants
• Publisher:
  New Jersey Department of Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Lay Publication
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067639
• Citation:
  Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Health, 2012 Oct; :1-2
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chlorine (CAS RN 7782-50-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Don't get sick when applying pool chemicals: take extra care when adjusting chlorine levels manually
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f1d8e8b779e5fcaf41ccb8f7a4b5a9816964389f3582369388fad4010c5f8bad6400eb498a8a1f6d87446eac8321dd39e7ac54cf2fd99adc2d8061d83f1dd775
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229911/cdc_229911_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 98.98 KB ]