This informative article comes from The Spruce.
9 Spa Safety Rules and Etiquette
It’s important to have a few safety guidelines for your friends and family to keep everyone safe and to keep your spa in great condition. Follow these tips:
1. Don’t Use Alcohol or Drugs
Drinking and hot tubbing do not mix. One reason why is that both alcohol and some drugs (prescription and recreational) can cause drowsiness or disorientation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t recommend it, regardless of all those movie scenes depicting characters enjoying a beverage in the hot tub.
2. Wounds, Sores, and Spas
People with open sores or any type of infection should not use a spa. The hot water is the perfect environment for spreading infections, especially if sanitizer levels are not properly maintained. The same goes for rashes and other injuries.
3. Comfortable Water Temperatures
Newer spas have factory-set temperature maximums of 104 F. Most bathers find that 100 F to 102 F degrees is a comfortable and therapeutic level. Higher temperatures can place undue strains on the cardiovascular system. Be sure to accurately monitor the temperature. If you or your guests feel “funny”, lightheaded, or get overheated, step out of the tub.
4. Kids
Parents and caregivers should never – not even for a moment – leave children alone near open bodies of water, such as lakes or swimming pools, nor near water in homes (bathtubs, spas), according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Spas and hot tubs are dangerous for young children, who can easily drown or become overheated. Don’t allow young children to use hot tubs, the AAP advises. Parents should learn CPR and keep emergency equipment poolside.
5. Horseplay
In the limited space of a hot tub, there’s no place to contain any horseplay. Someone can easily slip, hit their head, twist an ankle, etc. Don’t jump or dive into a spa or hot tub. Climb in carefully, do not allow anyone to run or play white in or near the spa.
6. Spas and Drain Covers
Every public pool and spa in the United States must be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover. Learn pool and spa safety, how to install a compliant drain cover, and regularly maintain your pool and spa.
7. Storms
Never use your spa during extreme weather conditions (i.e. electrical storms, tornados, hurricanes, etc.)
8. Don’t Soak in Hot Tubs Alone
While those rules posted near public spas don’t seem exactly scientific, some just make good sense. If you’ve been drinking, taking meds, have high or low blood pressure, or any other medical condition, it would be wise to wait for a companion to join you for a soak.
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