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Water Balance – Keep the water in your hot tub healthy and free of harmful microorganisms by ensuring that the sanitizer levels are adequate enough to allow you to safely enter the hot tub. By maintaining the Total Alkalinity (TA) and pH in proper water balance, and by regularly shocking the water, you will make your sanitizer work more effectively in controlling bacteria.
Regularly have a professional check your spa or hot tub and make sure it is in good, safe working condition, and that drain covers are in place and not cracked or missing. Check the drain covers yourself throughout the year.
Always use a locked safety cover when the spa is not in use and keep young children away from spas or hot tubs unless there is constant adult supervision.
Make sure the spa has the dual drains and drain covers required by current safety standards.
Know where the cut-off switch for your pump is so you can turn it off in an emergency.
Be aware that consuming alcohol while using a hot tub or spa could lead to drowning.

Hot Tub Chemical Storage and Usage Tips

It is best to keep the chemicals, additives and cleaning compounds in a cool, dry and well ventilated location, away from direct sunlight and out of the reach of children.
Always read and follow all directions on chemical labels. As a rule, hot tub chemicals should not be mixed together prior to addition to the water. Always add chemicals to water, never water to chemicals.
Dissolve dry chemicals one at a time in a plastic bucket of clean water, then pour into the hot tub. This will also prevent damage to the acrylic shell (or PVC liner) from direct contact of un-dissolved granules.

Health Considerations / Hot Tub Usage Recommendations

The Consumer Products Safety Commission considers 104° F to be the maximum safe water temperature for adults, and modern hot tubs are normally set at the factory and do not to exceed that limit. A safe soaking time should not exceed 15 minutes. Some medical authorities have recommended a lower maximum temperature of 100° to 102° F. (Lowering the temperature to 98° F, may allow for longer soak – but never for more than 15 minutes at a time.) Soaking for too long in elevated water temperatures can raise body temperature to hazardous levels.
Another safety consideration is the temperature of the water your child is exposed to in a hot tub. Children, especially toddlers and infants, have thinner skin and are thus prone to overheating. According to government safety guidelines, a child should not stay in hot tubs for longer than five minutes at a time.Infants and toddlers should not be taken into a spa and exposed to dangerously hot temperatures at all. Children should be supervised at all times.
Persons with heart disease, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, or any other serious illness should not enter a spa or hot tub without first consulting with, and obtaining the advice of a physician. The CDC recommends that all pregnant women consult a physician as well, before hot tub use, particularly in the first trimester.
It is a good idea to keep a floating thermometer in the water, especially if your hot tub does not have a digital temperature readout indicator.
Have an Emergency Procedure List posted with a First Aid kit near by and have all guests familiar with procedures and regulations.
6. The National Electrical Code requires the installation of an approved manual disconnect device for your hot tub be located at least 5 ft. away, and within line of sight of the hot tub for safety. Make sure that your hot tub's electrical system is properly wired, grounded, and protected by a GFCI.