good legal defense. If a pool user suspects that they may have gotten ill at a public pool, they may consider a lawsuit against the pool owner and the pool service company. The pool maintenance log will visually show that the pool was being maintained properly when the pool was used by the customer.
The pool maintenance log can also be used as a communication tool between the pool owner and the pool tech, but also between different pool techs when one may be out ill. This allows seamless care of the pool and knowledge of what the other pool tech may have seen while they were at the pool.
How does it affect pool service techs?
When a public pool owner receives a violation due to a pool maintenance log not being maintained properly, they tend to get really upset with the pool tech. Even though the pool tech is only paid for two or three times per week service and there is no way that they could complete the daily record, they are still blamed for the violation in the mind of the pool owner. It is a “no win” situation for the pool tech. The risk of making the pool owner unhappy and losing money to complete a task that they are not contracted or compensated for is a very stressful moment. In most instances, the pool owner is charged an additional fee for the extra visits by the pool tech.
Some pool techs will record the readings on the pool maintenance log even though they are not there. The incorrect records will not help the pool tech with identifying malfunctioning equipment or other similar issues. The inspector may notice information written ahead of time on the pool log if the inspection is conducted, for example, late on Friday and weekend readings were recorded on the log ahead of time. The falsification of information on the pool log could result in violations from the FLDOH.
The storage of the pool maintenance log is also an issue. The inspector may find the log water damaged, ripped, or stored in a location not known by the inspector. Any of these situations could result in violations on the inspection report.
What existing technology is available?
The pool tech has many methods of recording daily chemical readings and other important maintenance information.
The pool tech has to choose between written records or technology that records the same information. Written records are technologically easier for some pool techs to use, but if they are not stored properly, then the record may not be found or become damaged. Over time, written records can become a bulky method of recordkeeping.
Technology is now available to the pool tech for pool maintenance records. This alternative to written records is a form of electronic records that can be operated via an application on a mobile device. This allows for easy recordkeeping that is not limited to a physical storage capacity.
The majority of the applications transfer the data to cloud -type storage. The application must meet the requirements of the FLDOH, and the log must be available to the inspector upon inspection or request.
An example of one such available mobile application is Pool Shark H2O. It records all the required Florida public pool requirements on the daily maintenance log and transfers it to cloud storage.
The daily log can be accessed by the pool inspector through a QR code sticker that can be posted in a conspicuous location.
Pool maintenance log missing daily testing of pH and chlorine levels And example of QR code from Pool Shark H2O application
