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If you let out a holiday home, a lodge, a log cabin or a caravan, there’s many regulations to follow and hoops to jump through to make sure you’re following the letter of the law. If you offer a hot tub to your guests, then there’s more regulations to adhere to. Specifically: HSG282.
This specifically relates to the control of legionella and other infectious agents in spa and pool systems, and was brought out in January 2017 to ensure that guests using hot tubs whilst staying at a hotel, holiday home or in any other holiday accommodation can do so safely and without unnecessary risk of legionnaires’ disease.
The guidance explains to holiday home owners how to control and manage the different risks to their guests from legionella and a whole host of other infectious diseases.
HSG282 hot tub compliance sounds important
It is! Long before COVID-19 and lockdowns, UK holidays (or staycations, as some people like to call them!) have grown in popularity, particularly after the banking crisis in the late 2000s which saw a huge increase in Brits holidaying at home.
Staying in a holiday cottage, a log cabin or a caravan is made even better when you’ve got exclusive use of a private hot tub… perfect for romantic weekends away or a family holiday to keep the kids entertained.
Flash forward to today, and most holiday home rental websites such as Cottages.com, Airbnb and many more have specific filters and web pages for people that want a hot tub with their rental property. Most of the holiday agents that we’ve spoken to highly recommend that their clients install a hot tub to increase the number of bookings they get but also how much they can charge.
The Health & Safety Executive released guidance on how property owners can make sure that they do everything they can to keep their guests safe.
Image credit: Plus Life Health
So, what’s HSG282 about?
The document is essentially a set of health and safety guidelines for what it refers to as “spa-pools” – which might sound like an unusual term but it also includes hot tubs. A hot tub is defined as:
“A hot tub is a self-contained factory-built unit for indoor or outdoor use and is designed for sitting in. They are typically filled with treated water, maintained at a temperature above 30 °C, fitted with air jets and aerated. They are generally designed for a small number of discrete bathers where the water is not changed, drained or cleaned after every use. Hot tubs are not for swimming in and do not have a balance tank.”
The HSG282 guide acts as a code of practice for holiday home owners to abide by (but also suppliers to those holiday home owners, like us) and helps to control the risks of catching infectious diseases.
What do I need to know?
There’s four main sections we want to make sure that you understand. They are:
- A suitable hot tub
- Maintenance and operation
- Record Keeping
- Risk Assessment
1. A suitable hot tub
If you’re looking for a compliant hot tub that is suitable for your holiday accommodation, look no further than our range of high quality, reliable hot tubs.
2. Maintenance and operation
You must ensure that you have a regular maintenance plan that is documented in case it were ever to be checked or inspected. The plan needs to cover essential maintenance of the hot tub (eg. cleaning and servicing), plus general operation and water care… making sure that the water chemistry is just right before any new guests and that they also have access to documentation telling them how to use the hot tub properly and balance the water themselves if it’s a longer stay.
Part of this ongoing maintenance will include regular microbiological testing with periodic tests which are to be carried out at an accredited laboratory.
3. Record Keeping
Part of owning a hot tub at a holiday accommodation involves keeping a written record of your water care process and cleaning process. This will prove that the hot tub has been regularly checked. We recommend a simple spreadsheet on your computer for this.
4. Risk Assessment
You cannot implement any of the procedures and rules without understanding the risks first. Make sure to undertake a thorough risk assessment and keep a record of it and your findings in written, digital format, including what actions you’ll be taking to manage any risks that come up.
How do I know if my hot tub is HSG282 compliant?
The guide has some very defined recommendations which need to be followed in order to stay within the legal boundaries. The main things to focus on are:
Water Capacity – the hot tub should offer at least 250 litres of water per person. This is to ensure that the hot tub doesn’t exceed the maximum number of people at any given time.
Headrests – headrests are very common on hot tubs these days, particularly domestic ones. They can harbour germs and bacteria though, so either clean them thoroughly between each guest’s stay or remove them.
24hr Filtration – make sure that your hot tub has a constant filtration cycle that runs 24 hours per day so that the water is always been cleaned and filtered to remove suspended particulate matter or debris that’s in the water.
Water Disinfectant – ensure that your hot tub has adequate methods of adding and maintaining the Chlorine and Bromine levels, for example floating dispensers.
I want a hot tub for my holiday property
Look no further than our fantastic range of HSG282 compliant hot tubs, delivered and installed anywhere in the mainland UK.