28,000 pool chemical injuries from 2002-08

From 2002 to 2008, more than 28,000 cases of injury were associated with U.S. pool chemical exposures, federal health officials estimated. A report, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, said the estimate was based on projections from a nationally representative sample of hospital emergency rooms and a state-based injury and illness surveillance system. "Pool chemical injuries most frequently occurred at private residences and symptoms most frequently included respiratory symptoms, eye injuries and skin injuries," the report said. "Factors included mixing incompatible products, spills/splashes of chemicals, and lack of proper training or supervision. Up to 40 percent of the illnesses were work-related and factors included failure to use personal protective equipment, failure of application equipment and mixing incompatible products." The findings suggest that illness and injury can be prevented through better chemical handling practices, pool chemical container and label redesign and adding devices to pools to prevent the mixing of incompatible products, the report said.