SP9 - Moveable Floors

Purpose

To establish safety measures for the use of moveable floors in Aquatic Facilities.

Description

Swimming pools with devices which raise and lower the pool floor whether in full or in part require special safety and design considerations.

Movable floors which cover only part of the pool bottom should incorporate effective measures to ensure that bathers cannot gain access to the underside of the floor when it is in a raised position. This may be achieved by the use of a hinged flap or a submersible or laterally moving bulkhead which mates with the movable floor and the pool tank bottom.

If a flap is used then the gradient of the flap when the floor itself is raised may be very steep. Precautions should be taken to prevent bathers from slipping off the flap.

A dark-coloured line 100 mm wide should indicate where the platform finishes and the ramp starts. In many cases the only acceptable solution will be to prevent bathers from attempting to move to the edge of the floor. To affect this, a highly visible lane rope should be positioned between 500 mm and 1 m from the beginning of the flap, or alternatively, a bulkhead with a movable ‘skirt’ can be used to prevent access.

Depending on the water depth, there may be a tripping hazard where the flap meets the pool bottom. The floor manufacturer should be consulted on what precautions, if any, are needed to overcome this problem.

Care should be taken to ensure that there are no entrapment hazards around the edge of the floor. To decrease the risk of entrapment, a flexible rubber gasket may be used to fill gaps between the edge of the floor and tank walls that pose a significant entrapment hazard. The gasket should be subjected to regular inspection to ensure its integrity.

Sloping / Moveable Floors

Moveable floors which slope should be designed with pool orientation in mind. The deep side of a sloping moveable floor pool should be oriented away from the shallow end of an adjacent pool.

The slope should be not greater than 1:14.

The surface of the moveable floor should be slip-resistive and non-abrasive conforming to the recommendations of Standards Australia Handbook “HB 197 - An Introductory Guide to the Slip Resistance of Pedestrian Surface Materials” and AS/NZS 4586:2004

Controls

All controls should be located adjacent to both the pool concourse and the pool with the moveable floor.

Controls should be secured and only activated by a lifeguard or other authorised staff.

It is desirable for the floor to move only while the controls are operated manually and when the pool is empty.

Audible and visual indicators should operate while the floor is moving.

The concourse width surrounding a pool with a moveable floor should be greater than 3.0m.

The circulation of water above and below a partially raised floor should ensure maintenance of water quality within appropriate regulations.

Maintenance of Moveable Floors and Associated Equipment

Moveable Floors and associated equipment should be regularly checked - at least annually - for degradation of surface materials, mechanical and structural integrity which may pose a threat to either the operators or the users of the pool. Consideration should be given to issues such as, but not limited to;

1. Risk of entrapment
2. Electrical Safety
3. Risk of injury to operators while moving
4. Risk of injury to users of the pool (e.g. Sharp edges which could potentially cause cuts and abrasions when contacted by users)

References

• Building Code of Australia - 2006. Australian Building Code Board.
• Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools 2003
• AS 1428.1 - 2001; Design for access and mobility Part 1: General requirements for access - New building work.

Previous Versions

• FD14 Design of Moveable Floors, issue 2, November 2007