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#1 Posted : 01 February 2005 12:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jerry Henderson Newton I have recently been asked a question regarding the minimum age for allowing unaccompanied children in a jaccuzi. The scenario is in a leisure centre attached to a hotel where children as young as 3 years are being allowed to use the tub without supervision (parental or staff). My thoughts are obviously that at that age there is a great risk of drowning, hair being caught in the water intakes, etc., and that it shouldn't be permitted. I would certainly advise against it. The status of any risk assessments carried out is not known. I have seen somewhere notices that children under the age of 14 should not use these pools - is this a common thing? Would appreciate any advice please so that I can placate my enquirer!
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#2 Posted : 01 February 2005 12:40:00(UTC)
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Posted By Phil.D.Baptiste Jerry, the minimum age, (and disclaimer), is very common and all seem to set the age at 14. However, 14 is seen as the age where adolesents can be responsible for themselves....(except in our proffession, smoking, drinking voting and procreating)... The 'medical' advice, from my doctor, is loosly set at 3 years of age, (wouldn't commit a definative figure), due to the pummeling effect on toddlers organs. Having recently bought a 'home jaqusi' (yes I know its spelt wrong), the warning in the manual, (Italian), says 5years. If you set an age, enforce it and ensure that staff enforce it also...the staff at the gym pool I used to frequent were inconsistant, this ended in a 'well the other staff let my kids use the Jaccusi' slanging match.
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#3 Posted : 01 February 2005 13:14:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jerry Henderson Newton Thanks for that Phil, - The inconsistency over age seems to be very much in line with what I had gathered from my limited knowledge of these things. Certainly there seems to be no defined minimum age from all the brochures etc. Will advise my enquirer accordingly - suggesting 14 as a minimum age for unsupervised use - provided that they don't smoke, drink, vote or whatever in the tub!!
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#4 Posted : 01 February 2005 13:19:00(UTC)
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Posted By Mark B Jerry Current guidance for swimming pools, is children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. however this is in pools which have the required number of lifegaurds present. the risk to these children in an unsupervised jacuzzi is i believe some what higher. Contact the Amateur Swimming Association or the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management (ISRM) for more information. http://www.isrm.co.uk www.britishswimming.org Apart from the drowning risk there is also many hygiene issues to consider when allowing children of this age to enter.
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#5 Posted : 01 February 2005 13:36:00(UTC)
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Posted By Adam Jackson Just glancing down the topic-title list I read this as "Young Children and Jesus". Seemed to be opening a whole new branch of health and safety.
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