Case Report: 24CA004
A Pool Cleaner Dies When He Falls into a Residential Pool He Was Cleaning
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Summary
On July 7, 2024, a 62-year-old Hispanic male pool cleaner fell into a residential pool he was cleaning. He was found underwater in the deep end of the pool by a resident of the home, and was unresponsive. The resident called 911 and attempted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation after removing him from the pool. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:27pm.
Introduction
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at approximately 3:51 p.m., a 62-year old male self-employed pool cleaner arrived at a residence to perform pool maintenance and cleaning. At 3:58pm he was found face down in the deep end of the pool by a resident of the home. He was removed by the resident who called emergency responders and attempted CPR. The CA/FACE investigator received notification of this incident on July 16, 2024, from the weekly summary from the California Department of Industrial Relations Public Information Office. The CA/FACE investigator was unable to reach the homeowner where the incident occurred, so the site of the drowning was viewed using Google Earth. Additional information was also obtained from the victim’s previous employer. The coroner, fire, police and Cal/OSHA investigation reports were all requested and reviewed.
Employer
The victim was a sole proprietor who had previously worked as a pool cleaner for another pool service company for four years. At the time of the incident, the victim was self-employed. The occupant of the residence where the incident occurred was previously a client of the victim’s prior employer but had since become the victim’s client.
Written Safety Programs and Training
It is not known if there was a written injury and illness prevention program (IIPP) with all the required elements.
Worker Information
The victim was a Hispanic 62-year-old male self-employed pool cleaner who had been working as a pool cleaner for at least 4 years.
Incident Scene
The incident scene was an approximate 400 sq foot backyard residential pool (Exhibit 1).
Exhibit 1. The residential pool where the incident occurred. Photo courtesy of Google Earth.
Weather
According to Weather Underground, the weather on the afternoon of the incident was clear with a high of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather was not believed to be a contributing factor in this incident.
Investigation
On the afternoon of the incident, the victim arrived alone at a residence and let himself in the side gate to access the pool area. He cleaned this pool on a weekly basis. Although it was unwitnessed, it is likely the victim was near the edge of the pool testing the chemicals and/or cleaning the pool with a skimmer or brush when he fell in. The homeowner who was inside did not witness the incident but was alerted there may be something wrong when his dog would not stop barking. He went outside to investigate and noticed the victim at the bottom of the deep end of the pool. The homeowner pulled the victim out of the pool, called 911, and initiated bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The fire department and ambulance arrived but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:27pm. According to the coroner’s report, the victim’s truck was filled with pool supplies. At the time the police arrived, the victim was lying on the pool deck between the patio and pool. A pool skimmer and a chemical testing kit were found on the deck near the deep end of the pool. A hat was found at the bottom of the deep end, and a cleaning brush was in the shallow end. A gallon of pool chemicals was floating in the pool.
Cause of Death
According to the county coroner, the cause of death was drowning.
Contributing Factors
Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger sequence of events that ultimately result in injury or death. CA/FACE investigators identified the following hazards as key contributing factors in this incident:
- Not wearing a PFD
- Lack of awareness of the hazards associated with working around water
- Lack of water safety and swimming skills
Recommendations / Discussion
The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent similar incidents, pool service companies and self-employed workers should:
Recommendation #1: Always wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when working within 4 feet of the pool edge.
Discussion: In this incident, the victim was not wearing a PFD while he was cleaning the pool. According to family members the victim did not know how to swim and had fallen into other pools in the past but had been able to remove himself. All workers who are exposed to the hazards of drowning (including pool cleaners, landscapers and groundskeepers) should be provided with a type I, II or III US Coast Guard approved personal floatation device (
§3389. Life Rings and Personal Flotation Devices). Although the victim was self-employed, PFDs should be worn by all workers who perform pool maintenance.
A class of self-inflating PFDs — also called automatic or inflatable life jackets — are buoyancy aids that inflate using compressed gas (usually CO₂) when immersed in water or, in some models, when the wearer pulls a manual cord. These are less bulky and more comfortable to wear during pool cleaning, landscaping and groundskeeping tasks. These include Automatic Inflatable PFDs that inflate automatically when submerged, use a water-activated mechanism (e.g., dissolving bobbin or hydrostatic sensor), and include a backup manual pull cord. Manual Inflatable PFDs inflate only when the wearer pulls the cord; and Hybrid Models combine inherent buoyancy foam with an inflation system and provide some flotation even before inflation.
Pool cleaners often lean over the edge of the pool to test the water and may be at risk of falling in. Many of these workers are self-employed and work alone. Over the last ten years in California, at least 25 workers that drowned during pool cleaning have been reported to Cal/OSHA. Self-inflating PFDs range in price from less than 100 dollars to more than 200 dollars and can easily be transported in a small bag to a job site and are comfortable to wear. If the victim had been wearing an automatic inflatable PFD, it is likely his head would have stayed above the water and he could have moved to the side of the pool himself, or the homeowner could have aided his rescue and this incident could have been prevented.
Recommendation #2: Conduct a hazard assessment to determine how to perform the job safely.
Discussion: Prior to beginning work, the victim probably did not assess the hazards and did not implement appropriate safety measures to prevent falling into the pool. Cal/OSHA requires employers with ten or more employees to develop and implement an effective, written IIPP document. (3203) The eight required elements in an IIPP include:
- Responsibility
- Compliance
- Communication
- Hazard Assessment
- Accident/exposure investigation
- Hazard correction
- Training and instruction
- Recordkeeping
Although self-employed individuals are not required to have an IIPP, they should assess hazards prior to
starting work and have job-specific training. If the victim had developed and implemented the hazard assessment and correction components of an IIPP, he may have recognized the risk of drowning (especially when working alone) and worn a PFD, thereby preventing this incident.
Recommendation #3: Complete training in swimming proficiency and water safety.
Discussion: The victim in this incident was likely not trained in water safety, and he did not know how to swim according to a family member. If the victim had completed a Red Cross swimming class, he would have acquired basic water safety and swimming skills that could have prevented this incident.
In addition, homeowners should ensure pool cleaners they hire wear a PFD, and the homeowner should have a life ring available by the pool in the event a rescue is needed. In
some instances, the homeowner may be considered the employer, obligating them to comply with OSHA regulations and can be cited for violations.
Disclaimer
Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by California FACE and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations to websites external to California FACE and NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, California FACE and NIOSH are not responsible for the content of these websites. All web addresses referenced in this document were accessible as of the publication date.
References
Division of Occupational Safety and Health -Title 8 regulations.
Subchapter 7 -General Industry Safety Orders Group 3.
Additional IIPP Resources:
Investigator Information
This investigation was conducted and authored by David Moore, MPH, CIH, CA/FACE Fatality Investigator/Consultant. Additional contributions to the report were provided by Robert Harrison, MD, MPH, CDPH FACE Project Officer; Laura Styles, MPH, FACE Research Scientist; Glenn Shor, PhD, and Ryan Furtkamp, Cal/OSHA CFOI program.