B14 - HD - after MAHC

Use the Model Aquatic Health Code
to Make Swimming Healthy and Safe

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The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC)
is a free, evidence-based guidance
document to make swimming and other
water activities healthier and safer.
Local and state health professionals can use the
guidance to improve health and safety in:
» Public swimming pools
» Pools, hot tubs, and spas in hotels,
apartment complexes, and neighborhoods
» Water parks
» Other aquatic facilities
The MAHC guidelines address design, construction,
operation, and maintenance of aquatic facilities.

Why is the MAHC important?
Swimming is one of the nation’s most popular
sporting activities. People in the United States make
more than 300 million trips a year to pools and other
places to swim, but some of these places aren’t clean
or safe. Using the MAHC can help make swimming safer.

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You can help keep people safe
by using the MAHC to reduce:
• Drowning. Accidental drowning is a leading
cause of injury and death for children ages 1
to 14, second only to motor vehicle crashes.
• I njuries and emergency room (ER) visits.
A high number of children under the age
of 10 — more than 30,000 — visit the ER
for swimming-related issues each year.
Injuries from pool chemicals account for
more than 4,000 ER visits each year.
•W
 aterborne illness outbreaks. The
number of illness outbreaks associated
with recreational water has increased
significantly since CDC began collecting
this data in 1978.
• Pool closings because of public health
hazards. A recent study found that as
many as 12% of inspected public pools
were closed for serious violations.

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Use the Model Aquatic Health Code
to Make Swimming Healthy and Safe

How can I use the MAHC in my job?
» Use the language in the MAHC to update codes for
swimming pools and other aquatic facilities.
»U
 se the MAHC to incorporate science-based practices
into your state and local aquatic programs.
The MAHC is a guidance document, which means that
you can decide how to use it (since it isn’t a federal law).
For example, you can use, change, and incorporate the
entire MAHC — or just pieces of it — into your state or
local health codes.

Check out these CDC sites
for more information:

Where can I find out more about the MAHC?

Model Aquatic Health Code:
www.cdc.gov/mahc

Visit the Model Aquatic Health Code website to access
MAHC language, sample forms, and scientific rationale.
The MAHC addresses such topics as:

Healthy Swimming:
www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming

» Administering a Regulatory Pool Inspection Program

Recreational Water Illness and
Injury Prevention Week:
www.cdc.gov/healthywater/
swimming/rwi/rwi-preventionweek/

» Designing and Constructing Aquatic Facilities

Recreational Water Resources
for Environmental Health
Professionals:
www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Topics/
recreationalwater.htm

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» Monitoring and Testing

Can I provide feedback on the MAHC?
Yes. CDC welcomes stakeholder feedback. You’ll have regular
opportunities to share your feedback so the MAHC can be
updated and improved — and remain scientifically relevant.
The MAHC was developed with extensive input from state
and local public health officials and experts from academia
and industry. CDC will continue to encourage input from
the public and other stakeholders on the MAHC.

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