Acceptable PTV by Pool Zone

Why one number doesn't fit all pool zones

The HSE PTV bands are derived for general adult ambulatory populations on flat surfaces. Real pools have specific characteristics that warrant adjustment:

• User vulnerability (elderly, mobility-impaired, children, hydrotherapy patients)
• Slope geometry (steps, ramps, ladder approaches)
• Fall consequence (height into water, equipment proximity)
• Foreseeability of contamination (sun cream, body oil, pool plant residue)
• Lighting and visual hazard cues
• Lifeguard supervision intensity

The targets below reflect best-practice adjustments for these factors, not HSE-prescribed minima.

PTV targets by pool zone — barefoot environments (Slider 55)

Pool zone	Best-practice wet PTV	Notes
Hotel pool surround (general adult)	36+	HSE baseline
Leisure centre pool surround	36+	Public users
Hotel spa pool surround	40+	Older user demographic
School pool surround	40+	Less practised users; safeguarding context
Learner pool surround	40+	Children, beginner adult users
Hydrotherapy pool surround	40+	Patient population
Pool steps and ladder approach	40+	Higher fall consequence
Pool ramped beach entry	45+	Sloped wet zone
Hydrotherapy ramped entry	45+	Slope + vulnerable users
Diving pool surround	40+	Higher fall consequence
Care home / retirement pool surround	45+	Resident vulnerability
Splash pad / children's pool surround	40+	Children, playful movement
Spa pool / Jacuzzi surround	40+	Hot environment, user mobility variable
Wet shower cubicle	40+	Soap contamination amplifies risk
Wet corridor / shower transition	40+	Persistent wet

PTV targets — sock and soft-sole environments (Slider 57)

Zone	Best-practice wet PTV (Slider 57)
Wet changing room main floor (sock-likely)	36+
Hydrotherapy approach corridor	40+
Care home pool changing area	40+

PTV targets — shod environments (Slider 96)

Zone	Best-practice wet PTV (Slider 96)
Pool reception, dry approach	36+
Plant room circulation	36+
External shod pool deck (rooftop, hotel)	36+

Where higher than 36 is justified

Higher PTV targets are best-practice where the user population is vulnerable (children, elderly, hydrotherapy patients), the surface geometry is sloped (steps, ramps, beach entries), or contamination is severe and frequent. Hotels' general adult pools may sit at 36+ defensibly; care home and hydrotherapy pools should aim higher.

The cost differential at procurement between a 36+ surround tile and a 45+ surround tile is typically modest; the risk-management differential is meaningful, particularly in vulnerable-user environments.

Retro-fitting these targets

Many existing UK pool surrounds do not meet the best-practice targets above. The realistic path is:

1. Test current performance to know where the surround stands
2. Categorise zones: meeting target / borderline / below target
3. For below-target zones, identify whether anti-slip treatment, regime change, or replacement is the right path
4. Programme remediation in priority order (steps and ramps first; main surround next; lower-risk transitions last)
5. Re-test after remediation to verify and document
6. Schedule the surround into a periodic testing programme thereafter

This is the typical structure of an operator-side pool periodic testing programme.