Welcome to week four of our National Water Safety Month series on issues and topics prominent in the aquatics industry! If you missed last week’s post on accessibility, be sure to check it out. In light of facilities beginning to open up again, this week we’ll be highlighting the importance of having and maintaining a clean aquatic surface.
Concerns have often been raised across industries that have significant touchpoints with the general public about clean surfaces and cleaning guidelines, especially at parks, pools, and splash pads. Recently, these concerns have increased with COVID-19 and have caused facilities to reevaluate how they are sanitizing surfaces and features to avoid spreading disease. Following the Model Aquatic Health Code, surfaces should be cleaned to remove 99.9% of microorganisms. Unfortunately, many surfaces are porous and absorb materials. For example, concrete is 97.4% impervious according to third party testing involved with NSF/ANSI Standard 50. While 99.9% of microorganisms can be cleaned from its surface, it may still absorb contaminants such as fertilizer run-off, bacteria, viruses, and other hazardous fluids. Beyond potentially harboring these contaminants, the permeable nature of a surface like concrete can lead to staining, which makes it more difficult to maintain.
Windsor Hills Splash Pad, Kissimmee, Florida
We know that cleaning has always been a forefront topic for operators and supervisors of aquatic facilities. Maintenance can get costly, and it is important to address safety concerns immediately so they do not result in pain points for years to come. Life Floor has strived to improve upon the cleanability of concrete and other surfaces by creating an innovative closed-cell foam product that is 99.7% impervious. Based on third party testing, our tiles are also 99.9% cleanable after having been exposed to harmful bacteria, even in the joints. Offering a safer surfacing solution is our company’s greatest mission and, to do so, we couldn’t just look at obvious improvements such as slip-resistance and cushioning for our tiles. We have been focused on protecting guests not only from physical injury, but also from microscopic threats that could potentially lead to infection or disease. While preventing microbial growth on our product, we have also engineered it to make it extremely difficult to stain. Even spray paint cleans off.
For any aquatic surface, it is also important to make sure to use the right cleaners and understand that a regular maintenance schedule ultimately reduces cost and provides your guests with a positive experience. Life Floor recommends certain cleaners to ensure optimal maintenance of our floors. These include a peroxide cleaner, a degreaser, and a mineral deposit remover. Using all three of these cleaners on a regular schedule ensures that build-up doesn’t occur and that Life Floor installations remain slip-resistant and beautiful.
Life Floor Ripple 2.0 Texture in Bluebird
As this summer season begins, we wish the safest experiences possible for all visitors and operators at water parks, pools, and splash pads. We certainly can’t wait to get out there to enjoy the beautiful weather and the great outdoors!
Looking to upgrade your facility’s aquatic surfacing? Contact us - we’re always happy to help.