Aquatic Supervision and Water Safety Policy

Purpose. This policy sets the supervision, rescue readiness and water safety standards for the pools at the Summit Leisure Centre so that every patron is supervised by a qualified lifeguard and every emergency is met with a trained response.

1.Legal framework and guidelines

The aquatic centre operates to the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations, the Department of Health water quality guidelines for aquatic facilities and Summit's occupational health and safety obligations. The supervision plan, rescue equipment and drills in this policy are the controls for the risk of drowning and aquatic injury.

2.Supervision plan

A documented supervision plan sets the number of lifeguards, their positions and their rotation for each pool at each level of bather load. No pool will open or remain open without the lifeguards the plan requires. Lifeguards will scan their zone continuously, rotate every thirty minutes, and will not be given other duties while on a supervision position.

• Minimum lifeguard numbers by pool and bather load
• Zones and elevated positions marked on the plan
• Rotation every thirty minutes with a handover scan
• Additional lifeguards for schools, carnivals and inflatables
• The duty supervisor decides when to close a pool

3.Lifeguard qualifications

Every lifeguard must hold a current pool lifeguard qualification, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and oxygen resuscitation currency, verified in the qualifications register. Lifeguards will complete a monthly rescue drill and a quarterly full emergency scenario, and will be stood down from supervision positions if any currency lapses.

4.Watch around water

Children under five must be within arm's reach of a parent or carer in the water at all times, and children under ten must be actively supervised by a parent or carer who is in the aquatic area. Lifeguards will enforce this respectfully and the policy will be displayed at entry and on the deck.

5.Rescue and emergency response

Rescue equipment, first aid, oxygen and the defibrillator will be checked at opening every day and recorded. On identifying a patron in difficulty a lifeguard will signal, enter the water using the rescue technique appropriate to the situation, and the emergency response procedure will be activated. Every rescue, including assists, will be recorded in the incident, rescue and first aid register.

6.Water quality and closure

Free chlorine, pH and combined chlorine will be tested and logged every two hours by trained staff and results outside the guideline ranges will trigger corrective action or pool closure under the pool water testing procedure. Faecal and vomit incidents will be managed under the contamination response steps and recorded.

7.Swimming lessons and programs

Swim teachers will teach to the program plan with class sizes and ratios set by age and ability, will remain in the water with beginner classes and will never leave a class unsupervised. Lifeguard supervision continues during lessons and is separate from the teacher's supervision of the class.