With summer approaching, park and recreation facilities and other locations with outdoor swimming pools are preparing for the 2016 season. And one pool safety issue to consider is foot traffic, especially around pool and spa areas and especially for young children.
Crown Matting Technologies, maker of commercial and industrial matting, advises an effective way to keep walkways around pools and spa areas safe is by installing mats specifically designed to let water and moisture drain below the mat so that the top surface stays clean and dry. The Fremont, OH company suggests the following:
- Some outdoor mats are designed without backing to help facilitate the flow of water below the walkway; select this type of mat in areas that get very wet such as in locker rooms and directly around pools and spas.
- “Grit” can build up around wet and slippery areas; choose mats that allow moisture to flow through the mat but which also capture and trap soils, grit, and debris. This helps keep walkways safe and clean.
- Because most people are barefoot when walking around a pool or spa, mats with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives applied to them help inhibit fungus and bacterial growth that can cause athlete’s foot.
- Most pool and spa areas will have staff “standing stations,” for instance where food is served; these areas collect moisture and debris. Modular drainage mats with connectors work well in these areas because they can fit irregularly sized areas.
