The author had the pleasure of presenting the new video to another audience of pool experts at the November 2018 Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) International Pool and Spa Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. Here, the audience’s response to the video was gratifying, and many people were seen jotting down the web address for the video. The stakeholder group that developed the video still meets regularly by teleconference to discuss ways to promote the video.
Through the efforts of the ACC in leading the development, promotion, and distribution of this informative and educational video, and the MAHC, which reinforces the related design and operational criteria with model code requirements, the association hopes to see a significant reduction in accidental chemical injection. It will know it was a success when unintended chlorine gas exposures at aquatic facilities are a thing of the past
Doug Sackett is the executive director of the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC). He has held this position since October 2014. He worked in the pool and bathing beach programs in addition to numerous other environmental health regulatory programs throughout his 38 years with the New York State Department of Health before retiring in 2013. Beginning in 1987, he was involved in the management of the statewide pool and bathing beach regulatory program, including the co-ordination of investigations of illnesses associated with recreational water and drowning at regulated pools and beaches throughout the state and for the analysis of the data from these epidemiological investigations. Sackett was the director and steering committee member for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) project to develop the national Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) from its inception in 2007 until the first edition was launched in August 2014. He was instrumental in setting up the CMAHC as the vice-president and treasurer of the interim CMAHC board of directors. He can be reached via e-mail at dsackett37@gmail.com.
