In high school, I worked at the local pool and was paid to pull covers off every day before morning practice. When I closed the pool after the night shift, I would put them back on. Tarp by tarp, lane by lane, as long as I live, I will never forget that a 50-meter pool needs 11 pool covers (thermal blankets) for complete coverage.

Recent news of an incident in which a student was found in a high school pool while the covers were being removed should serve as a reminder of the potential danger that can be associated with the use of pool covers. Aquatics facility operators who utilize pool covers have the responsibility for developing policies and procedures that ensure the safety of the facility’s patrons and staff.

The benefits of thermal blanket pool covers are well-known. The primary benefit is heat retention, resulting in lower energy costs and less evaporation of pool water, leading to lower chemical costs. As the cost to heat, fill and balance our water continues to rise, it becomes clear that pool covers serve a necessary function and are here to stay. Considering the number of facilities that utilize covers of some type or another, facility operators have done a pretty good job of mitigating their potential for accidents. But is entrapment the only type of accident associated with the daily use of pool covers at aquatics facilities?

After years of pulling, rolling, using, fixing and buying pool covers, and even more years of pondering the nuances of their use, a constant question continually arises: If pool covers are supposed to be so potentially dangerous to our facility patrons, then why does it seem that most accidents associated with them occur from their daily removal and replacement by facility staff? Pool covers, storage reels, crank handles, wheels and brakes all pose a constant injury threat to aquatics facility staffs.

Educate your staff and patrons in ways to avoid these potential accident scenarios:

• Back strain: Caused by improperly lifting the cover from the pool to the storage reel for attachment. Instruct your employees in the proper placement of the reel by the pool, and the correct methods for lifting these heavy covers from the pool to the storage reel.

• Bumps and bruises: Crank handles left on the reel while you move it can fall off, hitting feet and toes. Flying handles also can result when a “cover puller” spins the reel by himself, with no one at the opposite handle to be sure it stays in place.

• Crushed feet and toes: Caused by rolling the wheels of the storage reel over unprotected feet. Wear shoes!

• Damaged equipment or bodies: Caused by not properly putting on the brakes. Heavy rollers that move during removal or replacement can run into a body or even the pool.

• Getting slapped by the cover: If you use a rope to pull the tarp across the empty pool, be sure to pull slowly and evenly. Pulling too fast causes a “runaway spin” on the reel, and often the end flips up and can smack anyone close by.

• Breakdowns: Improperly cleaned and un-lubed storage reels can lead to breakdowns. Ever seen the rusty reel fall apart during use? It can happen — and it can lead to accidents.

• Chafed hands: If you use a rope to pull covers across the pool, be sure to use a heavy line that is easy to grip and be sure to provide gloves for the “puller.”

• Face plant: Caused by people attempting to run over covers that have been placed on the pool. If you think this doesn’t happen, think again. Cover sprints are as old as pool covers themselves.

Enjoy the benefits of using pool covers to lower operating costs, but be sure to develop and practice safe pool-cover procedures. Include the removal and replacement of covers in your injury and illness prevention plan — and your aquatics manual is a great place to start for staff education and safety.

Accident claims resulting from unsafe work practices and poor management can cost a facility everything it has saved by using thermal pool cover blankets and more. It is the job of every aquatics facility operator to make sure that pool covers are used safely and responsibly.