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Swimming Pool Secret #7: The Truth About Pool Chemical Hazards

Any responsible parent with small children is concerned about household chemicals in the home. Adding a pool to a home means adding 4 to 10 additional chemicals to the household inventory.

A home pool inevitably results in storing large quantities of the chemical dihydrogen oxide where household members may be exposed to it. Acute overexposure to dihydrogen oxide probably results in more fatalities each year than overexposure to any other single chemical! Of course, dihydrogen oxide is more commonly known as water, and acute overexposure to water is usually called drowning.

My point?

The language of chemical hazards -- mandated by government regulation, and sue-their-pants-off lawyers -- more often confuses than it helps.

Does this mean that pool chemicals are not dangerous? Absolutely not! But often, the hazards which cause the most worry represent the smallest real dangers!

Several simple rules will go far toward protecting your family -- and you!

Minimize the different types of chemicals you store. Our tips about buying 'generically' will help avoid duplication.
And, don't buy more than you will consume in a season. Some of the more hazardous pool chemicals don't 'keep' well.
Keep wet hands and dirty scoops out of your chemicals. Contamination is often a cause of problems.
Don't store pool chemicals where other materials can fall into them. (Don't put HTH under your old paint shelf!)
Never, NEVER, NEVER, mix chemicals. When adding chemicals to your pool allow one to disappear before adding another.
Use gloves and glasses. Kitchen gloves and sunglasses are fine.
And, of course, make sure they are inaccessible to small children. The new plastic locking lawn sheds, made by Rubbermaid and others, would appear to be a GREAT solution.

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