Pool size and life guards

[ninamh]

Can anyone update me on the new law which requires a life guard on the pool side? In our community we have a pool which is closed off due to this. It is to be opened 1 June, which is too late in my opinion.

[Beachcomber]

As far as I am aware this is the latest legislation in respect of swimming pools:

http://www.andaluciajunta.es/portal/bol ... 85,00.html

which, as you can see, was introduced in 1999.

The requirement to comply with these regulations does not depend on the size of the pool but the size of the community (more than nineteen dwellings)

[costakid]

our pool opens in June with a lifeguard and closes in September. The guard has Wednesdays off and the pool is closed. opens 12 till 10pm every other day.

[Retro P]

I wasn't aware of this, our community has 14 properties and this, to my knowledge has never been discussed, I'll check this out on monday, the Germans though, we have three owners' will not be pleased, they're always moaning about costs, does this mean that WE have to pay for it??

[costapacket]

I think that if the pool has a surface area of more than 200 square metres then you should, by law, have a lifeguard. Our complex has two pools one needs a lifeguard and one doesn't. I believe the larger pool is having a central island built in it to remove the need, and expense, of a lifeguard.
Also I think a complex swimming pool has to be fenced off but I don't know what the law is for private pools.

[Beachcomber]

Retro P, if your community consists of nineteen dwellings or less it is not subject to those regulations. See article 1 paragraph 2:

2. Quedan excluidas de su ámbito de aplicación las piscinas privadas de uso unifamiliar o plurifamiliar pertenecientes a comunidades de vecinos de menos de veinte viviendas, las de baños termales, centros de tratamiento de hidroterapia y otras dedicadas exclusivamente a usos médicos, así como las dedicadas exclusivamente a usos y competiciones deportivas que estarán sometidas a su normativa específica.

[Miro]

Our community consists of only 12 properties (and the pool is tiny, certainly nowhere near 200 m2!) so we're exempt, but a new building has been built nearby which has 21 apartments, and an even smaller pool. Nevertheless, the rules will apply because of the "less than 20 dwellings" rule for exemption. I imagine the community fees for each of the 21 owners, to cover the cost of a lifeguard, will be pretty hefty. Something to bear in mind if looking at new properties.

[costapacket]

We have 100 apartments and a pool less than 200m2 and do not require a life guard. The other phase of the complex has a pool more that 200m2 with around 100 apartments and they do need a lifeguard.

If a new building with 21 apartments has a pool with a surface area of less that 200m2 then they will not need a lifeguard but they will need to fence off the pool for health and safety.

[Beachcomber]

Communities of nineteen dwellings or less are not subject to the law at all.

Comunities of twenty dwellings or more are subject to the rules therein but the requirements for lifeguards depend on the following criteria:

Artículo 25. Personal socorrista.

1. Toda piscina de uso colectivo cuya superficie de lámina de agua sea de doscientos metros cuadrados o superior deberá contar con un servicio de socorristas acuáticos con titulación válida para el desarrollo de actividades de Salvamento y Socorrismo Acuático expedido por Organismo competente o Entidad privada cualificada.

2. El número de socorristas será de un mínimo de:
a) Un socorrista en piscinas cuya lámina de agua esté comprendida entre doscientos y quinientos metros cuadrados.
b) Dos socorristas en piscinas cuya lámina de agua esté comprendida entre quinientos y mil metros cuadrados.
c) En piscinas de más de mil metros cuadrados de lámina de agua deberá haber un socorrista más por cada vaso o fracción de quinientos metros cuadrados

It does seem a bit ridiculous. Presumably someone is equally liable to drown in a pool of 199 m2 as they are in one of 201 m2.

[Miro]

Thanks for clarifying that Beachcomber, you're more patient than me. I had come across the regulations before (also an English translation of them) but they do go on don't they? I never got to the bit about life guard requirements, nor have I found where it refers to the requirement to have "servicios". Someone on another forum asked recently about the law concerning access for disabled people to communal pools, and I couldn't find a specific reference to that either. Can you maybe give me a pointer?

[Beachcomber]

Section 2ª, Article 14. Aseos y vestuarios.

This is on page 3589 of the link I gave. Actually you may find this more readable:

http://www.aquarama.baeza-sa.com/reglamentopiscinas.pdf

This is from the Baeza web site but is an exact copy of the regulations in the BOJA.

There is nothing specified about facilities for the disabled.

[Miro]

Thanks for that. So the same rule applies? i.e. less than 20 properties in the community, no need? 20 or more and you have to have them? Again, for a block of 21 apartments, (with daily cleaning) it could amount to quite an expense individually.

Strange that there's no reference to disabled access, or not? Maybe that's covered by some other legislation? I'll be proper impressed if you can come up with it!

[Beachcomber]

Yes, these rules are totally arbitrary.

If there are, say, twenty five houses set around a pool I am pretty certain that anyone wishing to use the services would prefer to do so in their own home.

No thought whatsoever has gone into this legislation but that's fairly typical of the Junta de Andalucía.

If I find anything about facilities for the disabled I will be sure to let you know.

[Miro]

Arbitrary seems an understatement! Where the apartments are "close" to the pool, there's no need for changing rooms. Did I interpret that right? Who's definition of "close" are we supposed to go by? Perhaps there's another document somewhere in the archives of the Junta, defining "close" in it's various possible contexts?!
Anyway, thanks for the info.