NSPF® Current Press Releases

World Aquatic Health™ Conference 2008
“It is the premier national gathering for those interested in planning the future of aquatics.” (11/14/2008)

The fifth annual World Aquatic Health™ Conference (WAHC™) sponsored by the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, October 15-17, 2008, drew 357 registrants from 42 states and 6 countries, participating in 45 seminars. The World Aquatic Health Conference is the leading global aquatic research forum helping leaders anticipate trends, understand emerging issues, and contemplate long-term opportunities. Attendees included aquatic coordinators and managers, aquatic training specialists, health officials, marketing and sales managers, service companies, manufacturers, academicians, engineers, consultants, lifeguards and pool operators.

“In four short years and five meetings, this conference has grown from a small collection of interested parties to being the premier national gathering of public health, industry, and academic leaders who are interested in planning the future of aquatics,” comments Michael J. Beach, Ph.D., Associate Director for HealthyWater, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Leaders are drawn to this conference because science highlights future opportunities and helps them prepare their organization to prosper beyond today’s challenges,” explains Thomas M. Lachocki, Ph.D., CEO of NSPF. Of the attendees present, 30% were high-level decision makers including CEO, president, owner, vice president, or director.

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Prevention Advisor™ Free Online Newsletter for Aquatic Professionals Now Available from the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (08/18/2008)

Aquatic professionals now have a respected source for the most current information about pool and spa accident and illness prevention with the Prevention Advisor™. This free monthly e-newsletter is published by the National Swimming Pool Foundation^® (NSPF^®) as a service to pool and spa operators, service technicians, health officials, and other professionals committed to staying abreast of key prevention topics. NSPF understands that industry professionals attend certification courses every five years, and need the most current information on fast-changing technology and new legislation. The Prevention Advisor allows NSPF to keep pool professionals up-to-date on the latest improvements until they are ready to re-certify.

Each month, the Prevention Advisor contains information which focuses on a specific subject such as health and safety information, regulations and legal topics, training opportunities, preventive maintenance tips, research findings, and other important subject matter. To ensure access, professionals should go to http://www.nspf.org/PreventionAdvisor.html, and sign up for a free subscription by simply providing contact information. The first edition of the Prevention Advisor was recently launched and upcoming issues are sent in the last week of each month. PDF versions of the Advisor are available at www.nspf.org.

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New Aquatic Risk Management
Handbook from NSPF
(11/11/2008)

The newly published Aquatic Risk Management handbook (ARM) from the National Swimming Pool Foundation^® (NSPF^®) is written as a guide to help pool and spa managers and operators through the process of reducing injury and liability risk in and around facilities. The ARM module is Volume I in the new Aquatic Management Series™ from NSPF.

“Some managers and operators do not understand risk management and think it is simply about safety, or that it has something to do with insurance,” states Alex Antoniou, Ph.D., NSPF Director of Educational Programs. “In fact”, he explains, “the job of a pool operator and aquatic manager centers around risk management. Their job IS risk management. We wrote the ARM module, understanding this need. It provides the tools that will help our industry professionals more effectively do their job.”

The Aquatic Risk Management handbook defines risk management as the procedures or systems used to minimize accidental losses, whether they are personal losses or property losses. Losses can include theft, fire, flood, legal liability, injury and disability – including drowning, entrapment, chemical exposure, and diving accidents. Risk management is a vital practice for aquatic facilities where common types of losses can destroy in a few moments, what has taken years to build. from NSPF.

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www.nspf.org/español website launched for Spanish speakers
(06/16/2008)

A bilingual twin to the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) website is now available at www.nspf.org/espanol. This new site will help Spanish speakers in the U.S. understand prevention tools while their English speaking, writing, and reading skills develop. The valuable information on the English site attracts over 40,000 visitors per month. The new site will also bring valuable prevention information to native-Spanish speakers in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Visitors can easily toggle back and forth between the two sites by clicking the “Español” or “English” button on most pages.

“The war to combat illness, drowning, and injuries is being waged around the world and champions for safety must have tools they understand to tip each battle in our favor,” reinforces Thomas M. Lachocki, Ph.D., CEO of NSPF. “We have to stand together with our brother professionals around the world in our common cause. Outbreaks or drownings are bad whether they are in Bogota, Barcelona, or Boston. The first step to prevention is through education,” he concludes.

“The war to combat illness, drowning, and injuries is being waged around the world and champions for safety must have tools they understand to tip each battle in our favor,” reinforces Thomas M. Lachocki, Ph.D., CEO of NSPF. “We have to stand together with our brother professionals around the world in our common cause. Outbreaks or drownings are bad whether they are in Bogota, Barcelona, or Boston. The first step to prevention is through education,” he concludes.

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