Increasingly children are being left unsupervised at public swimming pools. Tragically a two year old boy drowned at a PoolSafe Pool in 2007. The incident was reviewed by NZRA and WSNZ, the report highlighted the need for direct supervision of young children by parents and caregivers and strict enforcement of the Pool Alone policy. Lifeguards do a great job of keeping our pools safe, but they are not babysitters.
The Pool Alone policy was developed by NZRA and WSNZ in 1997 (revised in 2002) to provide national consistancy within the aquatics industry. the policy provides a recommended code of practice for child supervision and states:
Chidren under8 mustbe actively supervised by a caregiver16 or over.
Actively supervised means watching your child at all time. Able to provide immediate assistance.
New Pool Alone Radio Ads
NZRA has produced a series of three new Pool Alone radio ads designed to promote enjoyment and safe supervision at public pools this summer. The ads will air on the Radio Network from 5 Jan - 9 Feb.
To listen, please click on the links below. To save, right click and select Save Target As..
There are also three versions of a public address notice that pools can download and use. Each PA announcement is slightly different:
Under 8's supervised by a caregiver over 16 and under 5's within reach
Under 8's supervised by a responsible caregiver
Under 8's actively supervised (defined)
New Pool Alone Brochure
Your Child Your Responsibility - is a brochure targeted at parents and caregivers of children. This brochure will assist pool managers and lifeguards to communicate the importance of supervision at public swimming pools and is available free of charge via WSNZ.
Consistent Communication - All facilities should also develop a standard set of key messages to ensure maximum consistency of communication by all staff members. Suggested Pool Alone key messages include:
Why do I have to watch my child – that’s your job?
Lifeguards are an important safety feature, but they are not intended to replace the close supervision of parents or caregivers. In public swimming pools all children under 8 must be actively supervised by a caregiver 16 or over.
Do I need to watch my child constantly?
YES. Actice supervision means watching your child at all times. Able to provide immediate assistance. Tragically many drowning deaths occur in the few seconds that parents are distracted.
Difficult Customers - Sometimes a customer will not respond to the best efforts at education and patience. Such cases should be immediately referred to the Senior Lifeguard or person in charge. At all times when dealing with parents/caregivers, reinforce the need to ensure the safety of those using the facility. Explain that the facility is an environment with inherent dangers and that the role of a lifeguard is to ensure people are safe in the water – they are not baby sitters.