Royal Life Saving Society National Pool Lifeguard Qualification

National Pool Lifeguard Qualification ® 7th edition (first revision)
Royal Life Saving Society

NATIONAL POOL LIFEGUARD
QUALIFICATION
Housekeeping
• Fire Exits &
Assembly Point
• Toilets
• Breaks
• Respecting the
Venue
• Time Keeping
Course Structure
Course Assessment
• Ongoing continuous assessment
(minimum 37 hours)
• Independent assessment by external
assessor
– Water Skills
– CPR
– First Aid
– Theory
The Lifeguard!!
Attributes of a Lifeguard
Helpful & courteous to Professional in
customers and colleagues appearance and
behaviour
Physically able
Alert
Good
Communicator Responsible
The Uniform
• Distinctive and
highly visible
• International rescue
colours: yellow with
red markings
• Distinctive
‘LIFEGUARD’
markings
• Clean and neat
appearance
In-Service training
• Employers are Legally bound to provide ongoing training.
• Training routines vary.
• 1 hour per month is considered to be the absolute minimum.
• 20 hours over two years is required.
• Keep records of all training.

The Role of a Lifeguard

Communicate
C
Supervise
S R Rescue
Role of a
lifeguard
Take
action T O Observe
F First Aid
Communication
• Create the right environment

• Maintain discipline
• Deal with complaints
• Manage the rowdy
• Communicate with colleagues
Communication
• Hand Signals
• Speech
• Radio
• PA System
• Alarms (drowning,
fire, chemical)
• Whistle
1 short blast
3 short blasts
1 long blast
2 short blasts
Lifeguard Positions
• Static
• Patrolling
• Combined
• Rotation
• Periods of poolside
duty
Considerations
• Shape & depth of pool (blind spots)

• Features (flume, wave machine etc)
• Activity
• Ability of swimmers
• Staffing levels
• Bather levels
Principals of Pool Supervision
• Observation
– Watching activities without taking any
direct action
• Supervision
– Directing an activity to control the
behaviour of bathers
Principals of Pool Supervision

• Listen
– Unusual sounds
– Cries/shouts for help
– Equipment running/usage
– Signals from other Lifeguards
• Smell
– Chemicals
– Alcohol, drugs, solvents etc.
Principals of Scanning
• Constantly watching
• Sweeping action
• Peripheral and frontal vision
• Be aware of areas immediately in front /
beneath you
• Scan your patrol area before taking over
a new zone (overlap)
10:20 Scanning
Zoning
• Responsibility for fewer bathers
• Nearer to those being supervised
• Manageable area
• Rotation between zones keeps Lifeguards alert
• Share supervision of high risk/intense areas
• Can be assigned according to experience

Intensive Zoning
Extensive Zoning
Zoning
• Zones are not flat!

– The surface
– Beneath the water
– To the top of water features
– Steps, ladders, walkways etc.
Monitoring Systems
• Used to support – not replace – lifeguard
supervision. They Cannot carry out a rescue!!
• Monitoring/controlling admissions
– Band System
– Timed sessions
• Control water features
– Traffic lights
– CCTV
• Identification of emergencies
– Underwater cameras
Summary
• What attributes make a good lifeguard?
• What is CROFTS?
• What is the minimum amount of training required over two

years?
• What is the difference between Observing and Supervising?
• What is the 10:20 system?
• What are the three types of zoning?

Further Reading…
Section 1 & Section 4
Casualty Rescue & Recovery

Rescue Equipment
• Throw Rope
• Throw Bag
• Reach Pole
• Torpedo Buoy
• Horseshoe/Ring
• Spine Board
Rescue Sequence
Shout & Signal
Reach
Throw
Wade
Swim with aid
Swim & tow
Types of casualty
• Drowning Non-Swimmer
• Weak Swimmer
• Injured Bather
• Unconscious Casualty
Drowning Non-swimmer
• Brief struggle (seconds)
• Vertical
• Unable to call out
• Takes gulp of air before
submerging
• Unlikely to grasp rescue
equipment
• May create considerable
*20 seconds for a Non- splash
swimmer to drown*
Distressed or Weak Swimmer

• Can usually call for help
• At an angle in the water
• Ineffective arm & leg
movements
• Will usually be able to
grasp rescue equipment
• Without immediate
assistance will become a
drowning bather
Unconscious Bather
• Often face down

• Limp in the water
• Incapable of assisting
themselves
Injured Swimmer
• Characteristics will
vary with the nature of
the injury
• May be stationary but
able to attract
attention
• May be holding the
injured part of the
body
Summary
• When might monitoring systems be
used?
• What are the three lifeguard positions?
• Casualty recognition
• What is the Rescue Sequence?
• What rescue equipment would you find
on poolside?
• What types of communication are used
on poolside?
Further Reading…
Section 1 & Section 6
Hazards, Risks &

Risk Assessments
A Hazard: Something with the potential to

cause harm
A risk: How likely it is that harm will

actually be caused
A risk assessment: Estimates the amount

of risk involved
Four groups of hazards …

• Physical: pool design, structure and
features – things a lifeguard cannot change
• Lifeguard: the way in which he or she
works
• People: the types of pool users and the way
in which they behave
• Activity: what the pool users are doing and
whether it is planned or unpredictable
A Risk Assessment…
• Identify potential hazards
• Imagine the sort of emergencies that
could happen
• Evaluate the possible consequences
• Assess the chance of such incidents
happening
• Highlight the practical steps needed to
reduce the risk
Create a risk assessment for:

• A swimming pool drain
• Hand Rail
• Ladders
• Showers
Summary
• What is a hazard?
• What is a risk?
• What steps are taken when completing
a risk assessment?
• What are the four types of hazard?
• What is a risk assessment?
Further Reading…
Section 1
An Introduction to Life Support

Background
  700,000 cardiac arrests per year in Europe
• Survival rate is approximately 5-10%
• Bystander CPR vital intervention before arrival of

emergency services
• Early resuscitation and prompt defibrillation

(within 1-2 minutes) can result in >60% survival
Why is the heart so important?

• To release energy from the food we eat, it needs to
be broken down by oxygen.
• The oxygen we breathe in is taken into the lungs

and transported around the body by the blood.
• If the heart stops pumping blood around the body,

the vital organs, including the brain will become
starved of oxygen and begin to die within minutes
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation –
attempting to revive somebody who has
stopped breathing
Chain of Survival
Aim to achieve this and chances of
survival are much higher.
Primary Assessment – DRAB

Check for Dangers
Check Response Shout for help
Open Airway
Check Breathing
Unconscious, but breathing casualty
The Recovery Position -

Basic Life Support

BLS (CPR)
In a casualty, breathing may become
obstructed or stop due to:
• Asphyxia
• Hyperventilation
• Injuries to the head neck or chest
• Cardiac Arrest
• Sudden Adult Death Syndrome/ Sudden
infant death syndrome (cot death)
It is rare for a child’s heart to stop unexpectedly (cardiac arrest)
Basic Life Support
• Cardiac Arrest
– The heart has stopped
pumping blood around the
body
• Asphyxia
– Not enough oxygen is getting
into the body
Adult BLS (CPR) – Sudden Collapse

Check for dangers
Check response
Shout for help
Open airway
Check breathing
Call 999/112
30 chest compressions
2 rescue breaths
CPR Technique
• Compressions should be:-
– Regular (100 per minute)
– One third of the depth of the chest
– Vertical
– Fingers raised off the chest
• Ventilations should be:-

– Steady: 1 second in, 2 seconds out
– Through a mask or filter whenever possible
Now Practice…
Asphyxia - Drowning
“Death caused by asphyxia following

immersion in water”
Wet Drowning
• Small quantity of water enters the lungs

• Water interferes with transfer of oxygen
• Casualty becomes unconscious
• Muscles relax allowing large quantities
of water to enter the lungs
• Mostly adult casualties
Dry Drowning
• Submersion causes a muscle spasm in

the larynx which closes the wind pipe
• Casualty unable to breath
• Dry drowning casualty far more likely to
respond to resuscitation as the lungs
are empty & undamaged
• Mostly child or infant casualties
Secondary Drowning
• Very small quantity of water enters the
lungs
• Water does not initially interfere with
transfer of oxygen – no visible signs
• The lungs fill with bodily fluid as the
body tries to remove the irritation
caused by the pool water
• Casualty is at risk for up to 72 hours
Adult BLS (CPR) - Drowning

Check for danger
Check casualty for a response
Alert colleagues
Open & check airway
Assess breathing
Ensure ambulance is called
Give 5 initial rescue breaths
Give 30 chest compressions
Give 2 rescue breaths
Now Practice…
Summary
• What is Cardiac Arrest?
• What is Asphyxia?
• Ratio of compressions to rescue breaths
• Rate of compressions
• Depth of compressions
• How does Adult Wet and Adult Dry differ?
• What is an infant? What is a child?
• How are infant rescue breaths given?
Further Reading…
Section 6: Page 53+
A bit of fun
If you are easily offended, please say so, I

do not expect everybody to appreciate
the following video.
End of Day one!
Homework tonight:
– Read all notes made from today; Sections 1, 4, 6.2
and 6.3
– Additional information and resources can be found at

elearning.rawlinscollege.org.uk , sign in with
username and password and look for ‘Vocational
Courses’ on right hand side under ‘My Courses’

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National Pool Lifeguard Qualification ® 7th edition (first revision)

Royal Life Saving Society

• Training routines vary.

• 1 hour per month is considered to be the absolute minimum.

• 20 hours over two years is required.

• Keep records of all training.

The Role of a Lifeguard

• Create the right environment

• Shape & depth of pool (blind spots)

Principals of Pool Supervision

Principals of Pool Supervision

• Nearer to those being supervised

• Rotation between zones keeps Lifeguards alert

• Share supervision of high risk/intense areas

• Can be assigned according to experience

• Zones are not flat!

• What is the minimum amount of training required over two

• What is the difference between Observing and Supervising?

• What is the 10:20 system?

• What are the three types of zoning?

Casualty Rescue & Recovery

Distressed or Weak Swimmer

• Often face down

Hazards, Risks &

A Hazard: Something with the potential to

A risk: How likely it is that harm will

A risk assessment: Estimates the amount

Four groups of hazards …

Create a risk assessment for:

An Introduction to Life Support

• Survival rate is approximately 5-10%

• Bystander CPR vital intervention before arrival of

• Early resuscitation and prompt defibrillation

Why is the heart so important?

• The oxygen we breathe in is taken into the lungs

• If the heart stops pumping blood around the body,

Primary Assessment – DRAB

Check Response Shout for help

Unconscious, but breathing casualty

The Recovery Position -

Basic Life Support

Basic Life Support

Adult BLS (CPR) – Sudden Collapse

• Ventilations should be:-

“Death caused by asphyxia following

• Small quantity of water enters the lungs

• Submersion causes a muscle spasm in

Adult BLS (CPR) - Drowning

If you are easily offended, please say so, I

End of Day one!

– Additional information and resources can be found at

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