Aquatic Play Feature Management

Aquatic Play Feature Management
Franceen Gonzales
Franceen Gonzales, vice president of risk management, Great Wolf Resorts, USA
Gonzales, who has 23 years’ industry experience, oversees engineering/maintenance, safety and
security, insurance, and waterpark operations for Wisconsin based Great Wolf Resorts, which operates
12 north-woods themed Waterpark resorts in North America. She fell in love with the industry working
at Wet ‘n’ w Wild Waterworld in El Paso, Texas, while she attended Stanford University. From there, she
became the general manager of Waterworld Safari in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1998 and worked in the
corporate office of Waterworld’s parent company, Golfland Entertainment Centers Inc., which operated
10 FECs and waterparks in Arizona and California. In 2004, she joined Six Flags Great Adventure as the
director of Hurricane Harbor before joining Great Wolf Resorts in 2006. Gonzales serves the industry in a
number of ways, including as a former chairman of the board for the World Waterpark Association, and
currently as the Secretary General for ASTM F24, chair of the ventilation committee for the Model
Aquatic Health Code, member of the board of directors for AIMS, IAAPA, and the National Swimming
Pool Foundation.
Abstract
This presentation will focus on typical aquatic play features including operations, preventive
maintenance, and safety. Typical features include wave pools, lazy rivers, simulated/standing wave
machines, water slides, interactive toys, sprays, and play structures. Play features vary in size and
interactivity as well as durability based on their installation. This session will appeal to those that
purchase, operate, inspect, and maintain these types of features.
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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Aquatic Play Feature Management
Franceen Gonzales
Great Wolf Resorts
Overview
• Common Play Features
• Safety Considerations
– Parental supervision
– Inspection and maintenance is critical
– Water quality changes quickly
• Regulatory issues
– ADA
– VGB Act
What makes an Aquatic Play Feature unique?
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Moving water
Elevated elements
Play elements
Shallow water
High bather load
Peak loading
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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Common Aquatic Play Features
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Wave Pools
Leisure Rivers
Waterslides
Activity Pools and Floating Elements
Play Structures and Interactive Toys
Simulated wave machines
Safety Operations in General
• Lifeguard plan should consider line of sight and time to reach the edges of zone
• Theming and other elements can obstruct views, requiring more lifeguards
• Work with Health Departments so they understand your unique features
• Standard Operating Procedures are important for each type of element
• Parental supervision requirements should be a part of your signage and operation. • Lighting is critical to lifeguarding indoors and out
Water Quality in General
• Team knowledge will always affect the quality of your water. Make sure they know the equipment.
• Critical thinking and troubleshooting is key as there are many fluctuations.
• Bather load does not increase gradually
– Chemical feeders sized properly
– Filtration and turnover sized for peak, not average
– Outbreaks can affect thousands
• Aeration causes pH rise, acid demand drops alkalinity. Is CO2 the answer?
• Is UV the silver bullet for crypto?
• Calcium and other mineral levels affect beauty of features • Fresh water should be part of daily maintenance
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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Maintenance In General
• Inspection is the first step
• If it doesn’t look good, it probably won’t last long
• Paying more for higher quality construction and finishes is a good investment. (How long should things last?)
• Invest in constant maintenance
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation Wave Pools
• Safety Considerations
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Lifeguard plan and heavy bather load
Overhead and in‐pool lighting
Wave break and deep area marking
Use of tubes
• ADA
– Zero depth requires handrail (is this a safety issue?)
– Freeboard
• VGB
– Size may dictate unblockable drains, often field fabricated
– Caisson walls
Leisure Rivers
• Safety Considerations
– Line of sight and lifeguard plan
– Too many tubes
• ADA
– Likely over 300 linear feet requiring 2 methods unless river has only one entry
– Consider freeboard for lifts
– Current affects placement and use of lift
• VGB
– Size may dictate unblockable drains, often rectangular
– Consider skimmers that are not fully immersed
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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Waterslides
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Safety Considerations
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(we can do a whole session on this alone!)
Commissioning by manufacturer
Documented operator training
Weight restrictions and use of scales
Height restrictions
Signage and SOPs
Dispatch systems
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ADA
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VGB
– Exempt from ADA – Accessible route required to stair entry and to landing pool
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Water volume may dictate unblockable drains
Non‐submerged returns are exempt from VGB
Dewatering grates?
Raised, blockable drains can be a safety hazard in slide runouts and landing pools
Activity Pools
• Safety Considerations
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Lifeguard plan
Floating elements and size
Lily pad operation – 1 at a time or free‐for‐all?
Activities and age may determine need for extra guards
Parental supervision
Deeper water
• ADA
– Less than 300 linear feet is one means of entry
– Pool lifts an attractive nuisance?
– Attached special use pools not in linear feet requirement
• VGB
– Raised, blockable drains can be a tripping hazard, be aware
– Special scrutiny due to direct contact with drains
Play Structures
• Safety Considerations
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All ages playing
Inspection, inspection, inspection
Corrosion, corrosion, corrosion
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance
Cabling, netting, Natural wood vs composite
• ADA
– Are family play areas are exempt?
– Balance percentage of features at accessible level
• VGB
– Most have partially submerged grates, which are exempt
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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Simulated Wave Machines
• Safety Considerations
– Inspect surfaces for catch exposures
– Operator training
– User training
– Stand up vs kneel only
• ADA
– Special use
• VGB
– Rare to have submerged grates
Questions?
National Swimming Pool Foundation ∙ 4775 Granby Circle ∙ Colorado Springs, CO 80919 ∙ (719)540-9119 ∙ www.nspf.org
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