All the helpers in the baths are volunteers. Many are working for HNDL, others are members of the pilgrimages in Lourdes on a given day who go to work in the baths for one or more days during their pilgrimage’s time in Lourdes.
The helpers try to work in a prayerful atmosphere and to be discreet about the individual pilgrims that they bathe.
As the helpers arrive they put on aprons and then descend into the bathing cubicles where they recite the rosary together. Each helper is then allocated to a "cabine" for that shift.
As the baths are about to open the following prayer is recited by the helpers whilst kneeling in their "cabine":
Piscinières prayer (French, English)
We then kiss the floor of the baths, before standing and singing the Salve Regina together with the pilgrims waiting outside to bathe.