Page 12 - Nevada Cooperator January 2019

12 THE NEVADA COOPERATOR
—JANUARY 2019
NEVADACOOPERATOR.COM
Hygiene in Shared Amenities
Keeping It Clean
BY A J SIDRANSKY
O
ne of the biggest perks of modern rector and partner with Professional Fitness Time Pools of Henderson, Nevada. “Obvious-
multifamily living is the all-inclusive, Management, a firm that manages building ly, outdoor pools don’t.” This has mainly to do for a children’s play area to quickly become a
amenity-rich building or HOA. De-
pending on your own building’s offerings, you and Washington D.C. markets. She has more water, Cox explains. Often indoor pools will To prevent the spread of illness and infection
can go to the gym, swim, have a spa treatment, than 30 years’ experience in the field and has use bromine for antibacterial protection, and among young residents (and their adult care-
entertain your kids in the community play-
room, or even take in a movie. When you add facility,” she says, “you want to make sure contaminant in either case is from users,” says day with disinfecting and sanitizing solution,”
in food delivery services, work-from-home there is adequate signage with the rules and Cox. “It’s from people – things like suntan lo-
arrangements, and Netflix, you don’t really regulations, disclaimers, emergency proce-
have to leave the building if you don’t want to. dures and contact personnel displayed inside are two contaminants though that are more “There should be sanitizing wipes all over the
Keeping amenities well maintained is cru-
cial to retaining their value and protecting around pool areas and in shower areas. Things and dust. Outdoor pools must be cleaned with should be set off at the far end of the rooms.”
the safety of those who use them – but that that reduce risk to the property and personnel filtering systems to eliminate the dust. These Buildings can adopt a policy of not allowing
maintenance goes beyond just keeping the should be posted and clearly understandable. filtering systems should be changed every two sick children to enter common play areas, but
floors swept and the lights on. What about hy-
giene? Is the spa as clean as you would like to on-site personnel.”
believe? Is the children’s playroom a real-life
petri dish? Is the screening room a stopover 77 Hudson Street in Jersey City, New Jersey, rooms and saunas is more about safety than “but we don’t tell parents how to raise their
for bed bugs or roaches?
Insuring the Best Conditions
Gail Hamilton is the New York City di-
amenities in the greater New York/New Jersey with the smell of chemicals used to treat the petri dish of bacteria and other biohazards.
worked all over the continental U.S. “For each outside pools will use chlorine. “The main givers), “all toys should be wiped down every
the facility. For instance, ‘slippery when wet’ common in outdoor pools: algae, and sand playroom as well,” she adds. “Changing tables
There should also be training in place for any to five years.”
Vincent Rapolla, a property manager at
a 420-unit high-rise condominium building, cleanliness, in most situations. Inspectors are children. At 1125 Park, for instance, they have
says: “The top priority is to maintain a safe, seeking to make sure that temperature con-
hygienic environment.” One of the means his trols are working properly – because heat
team uses to accomplish that is a system of can kill. If the controls aren’t accurate, that’s a
sign-offs to keep track of what’s going on in major risk – both to anyone using the facility,
the association’s various amenity areas – par-
ticularly the pool and health club. Done by liability. Alarms have to be functioning and
the maintenance staff, the sign-offs keep track fully operational. Signage is required, as are
of what safety and hygiene measures where working temperature gauges. You don’t want
completed, and at what time. “This way I can anyone to roast, poach or steam to death.
always tell our clients with certainty that we
are keeping the facility in top shape,” he says.
Pools and Spas
“Pools, saunas, and so forth are known as New York City, says they have gyms in about
‘bathing establishments,’” in industry lingo, 25 of the buildings they manage. “In small
says Hamilton. “And a bathing establishment gyms in residential buildings,” he says, “with
comes under the auspices of the Department say, less than 12 pieces of equipment, there
of Health in New York City. There are approx-
imately 15 signage bullet points pertaining to his buildings are also unstaffed, as they are
pool safety and hygiene. There are four [in-
spection] cycles per year, and city inspectors time attendants. “The gyms are cleaned twice
come around unannounced. A pool has to a day by the buildings’ maintenance staff,” he
be permitted, and once the pool is permitted, says. “Gyms tend to be busy early in the morn-
the permit goes to the Department of Health, ing, from say 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., then not
which then comes and does an inspection. If again till late in the afternoon into the evening.
you don’t have any violations, they come back We clean once in the late morning, and once
about every three months or so. If you do have in the later evening. We have a machine called
a violation, and you can correct it on the spot, a Duprey machine, which is a ‘green’ product.
they don’t close you down – but if you can’t, It cleans and disinfects at the same time with
they will close you down on the spot. When superheated water which reaches 212 degrees.
you rectify the issue, they will return and re-
inspect within a few weeks.”
In Nevada, where the weather is favorable eras as well, not to spy on the residents, but
to outdoor pool facilities, a slightly different rather for security and emergencies, to alert
approach must be taken to keeping conditions the front desk in the event of a problem.”
hygienic. “Indoor pools need ventilation,” says
Anthony Cox, a representative for Summer
tion – and not from the environment. There building staff, but parents should do it, too.
Saunas and Steam Rooms
Hamilton cautions that the issue in steam
and to the building or association in terms of
Gyms and Fitness Rooms
Dan Wollman, CEO of Gumley Haft, a co-
op and condo management firm located in
aren’t any regular inspections.” The gyms in
neither large nor busy enough to require full-
As one of my supers says, ‘No one is allergic to
water.’ These facilities often have security cam-
Children’s Play Spaces
Kids are a blessing, but they’re also kind
of messy. Fun as they are, it doesn’t take long
says Hamilton. This should be done by the
these policies are determined on a building-
by-building basis.
“There are general rules,” says Wollman,
MANAGEMENT
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