If you follow Lehmann Pools & Spas here, on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media you’ll hear us chat about how we give you SUPERIOR support – the type of support that you can only get from a reputable brick-and-mortar dealer.

Our caller asked “if our people know what they’re doing.”  Well, Our lead tech and our owner are PA Pesticide Certified Applicators.  Yes, chlorine, bromine, and a number of other chemicals we use in swimming pools are actually “pesticides.”  Look for the EPA Reg # on the label.  That’s a “pesticide.”  And, to apply those in public or commercial pools, you have to be a licensed “applicator.”  We are.

Not just that, but we are National Swimming Pool Foundation Certified Pool Operator (NSPF® CPO®) Instructors.  We teach commercial and public pool operators.  Beyond that, but we train all our people; whether in-store or in-field folks.  And, many of us have been to manufacturer and distributor training sessions – learning from the factory field techs how to properly service their equipment.

So, “do we know what we’re doing?  Yep.

PS – Experience?  We don’t think experience is always the best teacher.  If you been doing something for 30 years but doing it wrong, or haven’t updated your knowledge and training, is your 30 years of experience the right way?  For Lehmann Pools & Spas, we value experience buy doing it right – with proper training and updated knowledge.

Aquatic facility operators – hotels – parks – water parks – municipal pools – you need training!  And Lehmann Pools & Spas offers you the training you need to operate your swimming facility, pool, spa, therapy bath, whirlpool, or hot tub safely (and legally).

Lehmann Pools & Spas of Johnstown gets you the aquatic facility operator training you need!

814-266-2236

NSPF CPO Training

PA Pesticide Training

Western MD, Northern WV, and Western PA:

Are you managing public or commercial pools? Hotel, School System, Rec Center, YMCA, YWCA, Fitness Center, Apartment or Condo – all of these need trained staff. Most locations require NSPF® CPO®; with PA requiring PA Pesticide Certification.

We are offering NSPF® CPO® Fusion® with PA Pesticide re-cert credits! April 4 – conveniently located in Johnstown area at Laurel View Village in Davidsville. Train & Learn!

#Hotel #Hospitality #YMCA #School #YWCA #SAFETY #Training #RiskManagement

Today’s the day!  Last day to sign up for PA Pesticide training conveniently located in west central PA.  There’s a big gap between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh – and if you’re in that area and need Pesticide training, the Johnstown-area is pretty convenient.

The course is designed with Pennsylvania Pool Operators in mind.  We cover the regulatory knowledge necessary to ensure your facility is compliant with PA Department of Health and Department of Agriculture guidelines.  And, we give pool and aquatic facility operators the practical skills and knowledge to safely and cost-effectively manage their pools and spas.  Our program is complete with hands-on experience in safely operating public pools.

Classes will be held at Laurel View Village – Fresh Harvest Restaurant In Davidsville.  Just off of Route 219 between Somerset and Johnstown, the location is convenient to Altoona, Greensburg, Blairsville, Ligonier, Bedford, and other locations throughout the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania.

Testing by PA Department of Agriculture scheduled on-site on November 16.  Testing fees are NOT included in our course fees.  Lunch available on premises at the Fresh Harvest Restaurant.  Menu and pricing here.

See the attached flyer or visit our Facebook page.  But, by all means – sign up today!  814-266-2236.

November 2017

Pool Operator – PA Pesticide – Training

Fall Hours – Year Round

Right after: “Do you have ____”  (Our answer is, “Yes!”), our second-most asked question is: “When do you close for the season?”

We DON’T!  We are year round.  Lehmann Pools & Spas of Johnstown got the stuff you need, when you need it.  Not a phone-call-leave-a-message place.

  • Plumbing parts
  • Hot tub parts
  • Hot tub repairs
  • Water testing
  • Chemicals
  • Commercial pool services
  • Public Pool Operator training
  • PA Pesticide training
  • Ice melters

 

Residential

  • Pool Repairs & Closings
    • Indoor & Outdoor
    • Pumps & Filters
    • Heaters
    • Controls & Sanitizers
    • UV & Ozone
  • Spas & Hot Tubs
    • Pumps & Motors
    • Seals & Bearings
    • Heaters
    • Controls
    • Filters & Cartridges
    • Plumbing Repairs
    • Jets
    • Ozonators
  • Therapy and Whirlpool Baths
    • Plumbing
    • Jets
    • Controls
    • Pumps

Commercial & Public Pools

Hotels – Schools & School Districts – Apartments – Rehabilitation & Therapy – Nursing & Residential Care Facilities

  • Therapy and Whirlpool Baths
    • Repair
    • Invacare Installation
    • Parts
    • Plumbing
  • Facility Upgrades
    • TDH testing – Flow Testing and Compliance
    • UV & Ozone sanitization
    • Chemical Feeders, Storage Tanks, Mixers
    • Control Systems
      • ChemTrol
      • Goldline/Hayward
  • Parts & Repairs
    • Pumps – Seals, Bearings, O-Rings, Motor rebuilds & changes
    • Plumbing
    • Filters
      • Sand Changes and Inspect Laterals
      • Cartidges
      • DE – Including Bulk
      • AquaPerl
  • Training
    • NSPF® CPO® & Fusion®
    • Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator – PA Pesticide
      • Core
      • Category 24 – Swimming Pools

Holiday Inn, Downtown Johnstown, PA. March 21 & 22, 2017.  814-266-2236.  Registration cutoff 6 PM today (March 3, 2017).

NSPF® CPO® Class

PA Pesticide Recertification Credits – March 22, 2017.  6 Core & 4 Category 24 (Swimming Pools)

814-266-2236.


Institutional knowledge is information that is contained within the memories of people within an organization.  Much is acquired through years of experiential learning; repetition of tasks, sometimes casual observation of others performing the tasks, “rule(s) of thumb” passed on from others.  Indeed, many times we seem to value experience over “book learning.”  We like our institutional knowledge.

And, there’s significant internal momentum to value institutional knowledge.  The possessor of the knowledge likely finds it empowering.  They know something others don’t.  “If anybody needs to know, they’ll have to come to me.”  If you know something that needs to be passed on to a new hire, especially if it’s technical, chances are your boss will ask you to “show the newbie.” Job security! Plus, it gives you bargaining power with your boss.

Oftentimes, your boss likes institutional knowledge, too. Instant delegation!  He or she doesn’t have to spend time training the “newb.” They can get credit for a trained employee, but don’t have to do the leg-work.

The problem is, institutional knowledge is – well – a problem. Minor variations in verbal story-telling can profoundly affect the information retained by the new employee. And, the point of training is to affect behavior.  What an employee does at the point of action is why we have employees.  If they do it right – great!  But, what if they do it wrong?  “Well, Bob showed me that…”  How can your organization have accountability like that?

There are 2 big problems with institutional knowledge:

  1. It’s often wrong.  In many cases it’s little more than hearsay.  Without a source document and a prescribed process to transmit information, it is very easy for a tidbit to become miss-stated.  A hotel swimming pool volume of 47, 484 gallons will very often get rounded.  But, which way did whomever round it? And, by how much?  Then, without a reference, somebody takes the rounded number, challenges it and a new number becomes cast into the body of institutional knowledge.  So, after 20 years, what’s right?
  2. There is no continuity.  If the possessor leaves, where does the knowledge go?  “I heard Jane say that we should push this button once a week.”  For what purpose?  Why?  The tale gets told in a hodgepodge fashion.  Some stuff may be retained.  But much may be lost to posterity.

The only way to fight misinformation and to preserve continuity is with formal written documentation and training.  One of the many services provided by Lehmann Pools & Spas is facility operator training.  As instructors, our goal is to help you properly manage your facility, not just keep the Chlorine and pH adjusted.  We can teach you how to develop a Risk Management System for your public aquatic facility.

We are big proponents of the National Swimming Pool Foundation’s (NSPF®) Certified Pool Operator (CPO®) program.  We believe the CPO® program is more thorough and comprehensive educational than many other training curricula.  Taught correctly, it is better at providing in-depth instruction.  It is certainly beyond many programs in the marketplace who only seem concerned with meeting the regulatory requirements of pool operators – for instance those concerned with being certified pesticide applicators.

A well-taught program such as the NSPF® CPO® course well-equips the facility operator to effectively manage their facility.  An added benefit of the CPO® program is the knowledge that the National Swimming Pool Foundation provides a comprehensive list of resources to effectively manage aquatic facilities.  As NSPF® instructors, we can assist your facility in leveraging those programs to ensure your people have the quality training they need.

Not only will you be using authoritative sources for your training – real knowledge backed by science – but you’ll learn ways to document your information for future use and continuity.  By understanding the importance of written, reviewed sources you’ll be fighting the 2 prevalent problems with institutional knowledge – correctness and continuity.

Join the Fight!

cpo-class