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RWI prevention week includes recommendations on pool chemical storage.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated May 18-24, 2009 as Recreational Water Illness (RWI) prevention week. The campaign is designed to increase public awareness about healthy swimming and pool maintenance practices in both public and residential swimming pools across North America.

The theme for this year's RWI prevention week is preventing injuries associated with pool chemicals, which lead to thousands of emergency room visits each year. In addition to offering free brochures on the program, the drive will also offer pool facilities and residential pool owners a laminated pool chemical safety poster.

The CDC's recommendations for avoiding injuries include:
• Store pool chemicals away from doors and windows;
• Dispose of deteriorating or unwanted pool chemicals or those in unlabelled containers;
• Store only identical chemicals above or below each other;
• Never mix different types of chlorine products or mix old and fresh chemicals, even if they are the same product; and
• Close containers properly after each use and wash hands after working with pool chemicals.

More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming.