Skin Hazards From Pool Shock

Pool shock is a common term for describing the use of a larger than normal amount of chlorine to clean and disinfect a swimming pool whose levels of bacteria has risen. However, many products are also called pool shock, and these are products that are much more potent than average pool chlorine. These pool shock products should be handled with great care, as they can be very dangerous.

Chemical Burns

• Pool shock products appear to be white, granular materials that look like thick powder. If it's allowed to come into contact with bare skin, this pool shock powder will cause chemical burns. The same is true for the eyes and for the nose and throat, is a person is unfortunate enough to accidentally inhale grains of pool shock material. In order to prevent accidental contact, make sure that you wear long sleeves and gloves when handling the material, as well as eye goggles and a face mask when deemed appropriate.

Allergic Reactions

• Some people who are particularly sensitive to the chemicals found in pool shock material can also experience allergic reactions to the granules. These allergic reactions might persist, even once the pool shock chemicals are dissolved in water and their strength is significantly diluted. However, tests have shown that when pool shock is diluted to a level of 150 ppm (parts per million), it doesn't produce any sort of allergic reaction. This is true even for people who were allergic to the chemical makeup of the pool shock.

Irritation

• Just like regular chlorine, pool shock can irritate the skin of certain people who swim in treated water. A good way to avoid unnecessary irritation to the skin and eyes is to read the instructions on the pool shock container to make sure there isn't a suggested or required period of time that needs to pass before the pool is used. To avoid irritation, all that's usually necessary is to wait until the pool shock has become diluted so that it isn't any stronger than regular swimming pool chlorine.