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SPN DEC 2011 IndustryNews
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
increased prices of raw materials in the United States which has worldwide implications for the US export products including hot tubs.
One of the biggest attendances at the educational programme heard that manufacturers had faced two years of trying to maintain ‘reasonable’ increases in prices of finished pool and spa products.
Raw material increases of up to 10% were now likely to be passed on through deals and distributors to the end users.
Some critics at the show thought there was ‘little new’ to see.
One visitor who attended Las Vegas after being at Piscina in Barcelona and then Aquanale in Cologne said; “It was a lot like last year. There was little new. We expect to see some innovation at the US show but this year it seems to me that most of the new ideas and technology are European led.”
THEME OF PRICE INCREASES DEFLATES AIR OF OPTIMISM AT LAS VEGAS SHOW
There was good news and bad news for the almost 10,000 visitors including a strong UK contingent who travelled to the Las Vegas International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo. The good news was the new optimism amongst US pool builders who in the third quarter of 2011 started to see some uplift in the number of new pools being commissioned –
CERTIKIN’S CHARITABLE CHRISTMAS
Certikin has chosen to send money to charitable causes instead of sending out company Christmas cards. This year the donations were made throughout the year to charities in support of customers who went the extra mile to raise money for their chosen charity. Amongst others, Certikin sponsored Ian Fenwick from Poolcare Leisure Ltd who took part in a cycle ride to raise money for the Acorn Children’s Hospice in Birmingham; Jane Veysey from Allswim Ltd who raised money for Cancer Research UK through Race for Life and Simon Bareham from Cresta Leisure who did a cycle ride to raise money for Saltway Ash Primary School’s new school hall.
the first upward trend for a number of years. “The industry was alive with newfound optimism at this year’s event – something we haven’t seen for a while,” said Lindsay Roberts, IPSPE Director. “All our educational events were really successful this year,” he added.
The not so good news was the theme of
The 2012 top US show is to move to New Orleans after a four year spell in Las Vegas. It will be held at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, following four consecutive years in Las Vegas.
The move is the result of industry research, and show attendees and exhibitors also gave an overwhelmingly positive response, according to Lindsay Roberts.
“Las Vegas is definitely one of the top destinations for trade shows and is still the top ranked city among our entire audience for a West Coast location,” he said. “However, we feel it is critical to rotate the event geographically, and New Orleans was the top choice.”
BRIGHTON POOL CHARGED ON CHLORINE OVERDOSING
A Brighton leisure centre has been accused of putting their staff, the public and firefighters lives at risk after leaking dangerously high levels of swimming pool chemicals into the air.
LA Fitness, in North Road, Brighton denied two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The case follows an incident where chlorine gas and chemical fumes caused the area around the gym to have to be evacuated, in August 2010.
Chlorine gas levels in the air were dangerously high and left emergency workers called to the scene feeling ill.
The incident could have been “potentially fatal” Hove Crown Court was told recently.
The chemicals in the air were the result of overloading chemicals into the spa pool.
The water levels of chlorine could have been “harmful to babies”. Robert Seabrook prosecuting said when East Sussex Fire Fighters arrived at the scene, levels of chlorine in the air were 12 times the recommended safety limit and the company had made a series of “lamentable failings” in not checking chemical levels in previous weeks. He said: “Staff arriving at the gym were concerned by an overpowering smell of chlorine and chemical fumes and gas detector alarms were sounding.
“‘Grossly overdosed’, there were six parts per million of chlorine in the atmosphere, which is potentially very dangerous. The recommended safe limit is 0.5. This was very substantially higher and that safety level is just for exposure for 15 minutes.
“One area with particularly high chlorine was the spa pool, that it
emerged was grossly overdosed with chlorine.
“The early indication for this would have been to test the levels of chlorine in the spa using a litmus type test. In truth the chlorine was so strong it had bleached the test rather than turn it pink as expected. “Staff had been misinterpreting and more chlorine had been added.” Mr Seabrook said that in the days before the incident, staff had measured abnormal acidity and chlorine readings but had not informed the pool maintenance experts contracted to look after the spa.
He said: “This systematic failing manifested itself on 22 August but that was indicative of what was taking place and just the sort of thing that happens with sloppy management or ineffective control of supervision.”
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