Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
First Advisor
Ken Engebretson
Second Advisor
Clint Pinion, Jr.
Third Advisor
Darryl Barnett
Abstract
Background: At the time of this study, the Commonwealth of Kentucky had over 3,800 active public bathing or swimming pool facilities. In compliance with 902 KRS 10:010 Kentucky Swimming and Bathing Facility regulation, all bathing and swimming pools for public access are subject to inspection and monitoring by local and state health agencies. The regulation requires the facilities to be inspected for code violations on the protection and safety of swimming patrons. It mandates inspections on: water supply and wastewater disposal; bathhouses and attendant structures; safety; and general facility operations. However, the regulations do not require the pool operators or inspectors to be certified. There are 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and 20 or 16.6% of them require certified swimming pool operators (CPOs) by county ordinance. There are approximately 11% of the local health department environmental health specialists certified as CPOs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether certification of swimming pool operators positively influences the outcome of swimming pool inspection scores and critical violations, which ultimately impacts the safety and protection of bathers and swimmers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Method: Data sets consisting of all routine swimming pool inspections were requested and received from Kentucky’s Department of Environmental Health, Protection, and Safety. The data sets included all regular inspections conducted from January 2007 through December 2022. Statistical analysis was used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in inspection outcomes based on required certification for pool operators (CPOs). Both parametric and non-parametric tests were used to test the hypothesis. The differential correlation between disinfectant and pH was also tested between CPO and non-CPO. The STATA 11.2 computer program was used for all statistical analyses. Results: Counties that require CPO staff had significantly higher inspection scores (96.8%) than non-CPO counties (94.6%). Facilities that require CPOs also had significantly fewer critical items debited on their inspection reports (0.21) in comparison with non-CPOs (0.35). The overall model results were significant. Conclusion: Overall, the study demonstrated that requiring swimming pool operators to be trained and certified had a statistically significant effect on the outcomes of inspection of the swimming pools.
Recommended Citation
Grabeel, Vonia Louise, "The Impact of Certified Pool Operator Training on Swimming Pool Inspection Outcomes" (2024). Online Theses and Dissertations. 826.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/826
