LAWS

In recent years, a significant increase throughout Spain has been observed in the number of recreational installations, particularly swimming pools, as a result of changes in social habits and the way of understanding leisure time.

Health protection and the prevention of risk factors for health in public establishments has been transferred and taken over by the Autonomous Governments.  This has meant that each region controls, by law, the installation and activities of swimming pools.  In some cases, local councils have also imposed regulations.

The aim of these laws is to draw-up Regulations to guarantee that the conditions of public swimming pools do not have a negative effect on the health and well-being of users.

To achieve this, apart from establishing the requirements which the installations and related services should meet, and to determine the specifications of the water and its treatment, these Regulations also include other aspects more directly aimed at guaranteeing safety and minimising risks for users. In this sense, some of the Regulations control certain activities, such as the use of diving boards, springboards and slides, and to make users co-responsible in minimising risks.  It is also obligatory for the managers of swimming pools to display internal regulations to users, including behaviour guidelines aimed at preventing accidents and maintaining the hygiene of installations.

In order to guarantee the safety of users, practically all Regulations state that swimming pools must have a life-saving service, first aid box or even a first-aid post.

It is clear that these Regulations are only for both public and private swimming pools for groups.   Also, to make users co-responsible in minimising risks, it is obligatory to draw-up internal regulations including behaviour guidelines aimed at preventing accidents and maintaining the hygiene of installations.

Private single-family or multi-family use swimming pools, belonging to communal residencies with less than twenty, thirty or thirty-five homes (depending on the Autonomy) are excluded.  Thermal baths, hydrotherapy treatment centres and others of medical use, and pools used for sports competitions, which are subject to specific regulations, are also excluded.

New technologies have contributed significant progress in decreasing possible risks for health, and it is therefore necessary to revise these Regulations periodically.

In order to make users co-responsible in minimising risks, the managers of swimming pools are obliged to provide users with internal regulations, including behaviour guidelines aimed at preventing accidents and maintaining the hygiene of installations.