Earlier this year, a teen from Westford, Massachusetts sustained serious injuries when she and a friend decided to explore the pools in the area. In addition to her injuries, the young women would face charges for trespassing. As winter draws closer, commercial pool management services prepare for pool winterizing procedures. Though this protects the water and the basin, it’s important to take more precautions to protect your facility from curious adventurers.
Lock up the site
First, make sure all the doors and gates are locked. Make sure that your pool cover is properly installed. There may be individuals who wish to walk on the cover, so be sure to restrict access to your commercial outdoor pool to the best of your ability. Don’t stop with just locked doors, consider putting up signage clearly stating that the pool is off-limits during the winter season. This may dissuade the more determined would-be visitors.
Keep it simple by removing clutter
It may be something other than just the pool itself that makes the site look inviting. It could be a particularly interesting looking lounge chair or a fun looking toy. Try to provide the least amount of temptation for passersby and stow away all deck equipment and toys. A clean, simple commercial outdoor pool space will be good for marketing and will reduce the temptation for trespassers.
Do a walk through
It would be wise to have a staff member perform a walk through at least twice a day and definitely at least once at night. Make sure to do a thorough sweep of the facility. Limit this task to one or two employees, so that they’ll be familiar with the site and will notice if anything is out of place.
Install a security system
If your organization already has a security system, consider installing a few additional cameras in the commercial outdoor pool area to allow staff to keep a constant watch over the site. Also think about adding motion detectors that will trigger an alert if the doors to the facility are opened. This will help ensure prompt response.
Managing a commercial pool comes with many responsibilities. Winterizing a pool is a must, in order to maintain the water and ensure that the pool basin will not sustain any damage during the low temperatures. However, simply closing down a site doesn’t always guarantee that guests will be equally safe. Be vigilant even when the facility has closed.
