{"id":20917,"date":"2017-10-21T03:55:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T03:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/?p=20917"},"modified":"2017-10-29T20:52:52","modified_gmt":"2017-10-29T20:52:52","slug":"ottawa-public-pool-health-inspections-rarely-pass-without-any-infractions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/ottawa-public-pool-health-inspections-rarely-pass-without-any-infractions\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa public pool health inspections rarely pass without any infractions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20920 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions-120x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"228\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions-120x300.png 120w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions-768x1920.png 768w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions-410x1024.png 410w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-5-pool-infractions.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>More than\u00a0700 health inspections for recreational pools across Ottawa were conducted in the last six years, but only two have successfully passed without a single violation, according to an analysis of data from the Ottawa Public Health records.<\/p>\n<p>The discomforting percentage represents the total of Ottawa pools found in spas, hotels, apartments and City facilities that did comply with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/90h07?search=%22public+pool%22\">Ontario public pool legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The success rate is closer to zero than even 0.01 per cent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHealth inspectors will determine if the infraction is deemed a health hazard, meaning it poses an immediate threat to the safety of the public by causing risk of potential drowning or exposure to water-borne illness,\u201d said Michelle Goulet, a public health inspector <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawapublichealth.ca\/en\/public-health-services\/public-health-inspections.aspx#Recreational-Water-Inspections\">with the Ottawa Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although heath inspectors can close pools if there are too many or extreme violations present, closures are rare. \u00a0From January 2011 to September 2017, a total of 713 health inspections did not pass inspections without at least one checkbox unchecked.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1ak2aUONF3CxUsnXaEvLvFvmp3GY\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Brookstreet hotel in Kanata, a staple known for hosting touring celebrities, is among the top\u00a0two pool amenities with the largest number of health inspection violations.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about their 67 infractions, the hotel declined to comment. Kanata\u2019s Holiday Inn also refused to be interviewed about their health inspection history.<\/p>\n<p>It takes approximately six years <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psi.edu\/epo\/faq\/spacecraft.html\">to get to Ju<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psi.edu\/epo\/faq\/spacecraft.html\">piter by spacecraft<\/a>. In that timeframe, both the Brookstreet Hotel and the Holiday Inn locations would not be one of the two successful inspections, according to the Ottawa Public Health\u2019<a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-3-infractions.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-20919 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-3-infractions-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"416\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-3-infractions-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/OPH-top-3-infractions.png 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 416px) 100vw, 416px\" \/><\/a>s data.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople leave messes,\u201d said Kurtis Baker, a maintenance helper at the Richcraft Recreation Complex in Kanata.<\/p>\n<p>An infraction can be inadequate pool rules signage, incorrect chlorine levels and even lousy air supply. While legislation and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/regulation\/900565?search=%22public+pool%22\">policies vary between different kinds of pools<\/a>, employees may be responsible for weekly, monthly or quarterly \u2018check ups\u2019 of the building as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we didn\u2019t do any of our assigned duties, we\u2019d probably have diseases running through the changerooms just because our presence isn\u2019t there,\u201d Baker said. \u201cThere\u2019s snacks on the floor, there\u2019s footprints, there\u2019s boogers\u2014there\u2019s everything sitting on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21076\" style=\"width: 348px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_20171019_173721.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21076\" src=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_20171019_173721-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"348\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_20171019_173721-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_20171019_173721-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_20171019_173721-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kurtis Baker, one of Richcraft&#8217;s maintenance helper. Photo by Christine Vezarov.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>These behind-the-scenes staff carry a heavy load of responsibility. If basic duties are left unnoticed, like daily administration paperwork\u2014 the most common infraction in the city\u2014 facilities suffer on public record.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLogging our hours is mandatory proof that we\u2019re doing our work,\u201d said Baker. \u201cWe\u2019re doing preventative maintenance\u2014not maintenance after the fact\u2014 but we\u2019re trying to prevent a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During Baker\u2019s interview, he was the only maintenance employee on site. Three staff called in sick, one had a flat tire, so he was left with an entire team\u2019s duties for multiple hours.<\/p>\n<p>Having worked\u00a0at multiple City of Ottawa facilities, the 26-year-old has been a part of various teams with different levels of training, operating methods and experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end-of-night cleaning, it\u2019s hot, you\u2019re working hard, it\u2019s fast-paced,\u201d Baker said, sitting up straighter in his chair. \u201cIt\u2019s aggravating when you see someone go back to the office and sit on their phone for ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The biggest source of tension for Baker and his colleagues has been teamwork and initiative on following through with delegated maintenance duties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easier [for someone to pick up a mop] instead of getting in there and scrubbing toilets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, all this happens away from the public eye.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a job where you don\u2019t really get a pat on the back from patrons,\u201d Baker said. \u201cYou get the stick not the carrot, but you just do it because it\u2019s your job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>-30-<\/p>\n<p><em>Cover photo by Christine Vezarov.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than\u00a0700 health inspections for recreational pools across Ottawa were conducted in the last six years, but only two have successfully passed without a single violation, according to an analysis of data from the Ottawa Public Health records. The discomforting percentage represents the total of Ottawa pools found in spas, hotels, apartments and City facilities &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/ottawa-public-pool-health-inspections-rarely-pass-without-any-infractions\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Ottawa public pool health inspections rarely pass without any infractions<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":21073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[478],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-carletondatajournalism2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20917"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21180,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20917\/revisions\/21180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.davidmckie.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}