Counsilman-Hunsaker and the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF) – regarded as leading experts in the fields of commercial swimming pool design, operations, and maintenance, and partners in the development of Facility Manager™, a proprietary web-based application designed to help pool managers and operators to abide by the Model Aquatic Health Code – have received the first ever certification by the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC). This achievement promotes the health, safety, and wellness of aquatic centers utilizing Facility Manager™ and provides aquatic facilities an important incentive to ensure they are complying with the Model Aquatic Health Code.
The CMAHC is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 that promotes the health and safety of people, families, and workers at public swimming facilities. The CMAHC was created to partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote voluntary adoption of the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), the only all-inclusive national model pool code, and to manage updates. If followed, the guidelines outlined in the MAHC can help reduce the risk for disease outbreaks, drownings, and chemical injuries at public aquatic venues. Proposed changes to the MAHC are facilitated by CMAHC and submitted to CDC as advice on how the MAHC needs to change to keep up with the latest science and best practices.
The CMAHC developed its new certification program as part of its efforts to educate the public about products and services that meet strict standards to help protect peoples’ health and safety at public aquatic venues. The CMAHC awards certification to services or products that comply with the relevant or applicable standards in the latest MAHC edition.
“As one of the founding sponsors for the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code, along with National Swimming Pool Foundation®, we are extremely proud to have this product that has both met the requirements to receive CMAHC certification and that will help swimming pool operators keep their facilities safe and sustainable,” said Kevin Post, Principal at Counsilman-Hunsaker.
CMAHC certification is not a single occurrence. Rather, the intent is to build a long-term quality control partnership. After initial certification, the CMAHC re-evaluates each certified service or product annually to ensure it continues to meet the same high standards required in the MAHC in order to maintain certification. Services or products that earn a CMAHC certification are said to be “CMAHC-certified” and may display the CMAHC certification emblem to demonstrate they have been evaluated for conformance with the requirements in the latest MAHC edition.
Consumer Impact
Many customers have already benefited from deploying Facility Manager™. Pirates Cove in Englewood, CO, was one of the first to begin utilizing Facility Manager™ for its aquatic operations.
“After looking at numerous software options, it was easy for me to settle on Facility Manager,” said Brad Anderson, Aquatic Supervisor. “The web-based app can be accessed anywhere and is easy to navigate in creating inspection checklists and tracking in-services and incidents. Since using Facility Manager, I have been able to eliminate paper reporting and help achieve our department’s goal of reducing paper consumption by 20%, all while gaining easy access to reports right from my computer. Counsilman-Hunsaker and NSPF staff have made the transition to Facility Manager an enjoyable experience, and I highly recommend the app for all aquatic operators.”
Facility Manager™ Availability
Facility Manager™ is a web-based application, licensed per facility on an annual basis, and customizable to the needs of the consumer. Originating in the Australian market in 2011, it was introduced to the American market in early 2017 with the purpose of being a MAHC-compliant program, and includes fully customizable modules, including facility checklists, incident and illness reports, pool closure records, and Pool Test™, featuring dosing calculations based on NSPF’s Certified Pool-Spa Operator® course, the nation’s leading certification program to provide individuals with the basic knowledge, techniques, and skills of pool and spa operations. Facility Manager™ licenses may be purchased online or direct from either Counsilman-Hunsaker or National Swimming Pool Foundation®.
About Counsilman-Hunsaker
Founded in 1970, Counsilman-Hunsaker is the worldwide leader in aquatic design and consulting. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to create truly transformative aquatic experiences from start to finish, including commercial aquatic design, feasibility studies and master planning, engineering and operational audits, and a full array of certification training programs offered through both NSPF® and American Red Cross.
Swimming news is courtesy of CH, a SwimSwam partner.
