Preventing drowning death is a challenge is so big that it requires support from everyone at your organization, not just the aquatics staff. But getting non-aquatics staff engaged in checking on lifeguards, filling out quick check forms and supporting efforts to make the pool safe, is not always easy. Here is a...
We recently received a Stop Use Notice provided by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) for ALL Redpoint Auto-Belay Descender devises. There have been two incidents in which climbers using a Redpoint Auto-Belay device experienced rapid rates of descent resulting in injury. This Stop Use Notice applies to the following...
Special events account for about seventy-five percent (75%) of all drowning deaths in YMCAs. Seventy-five percent—three out of every four. This is without a doubt the most dangerous time at your aquatic facility. I hope you have recently viewed the webinar presented by YMCA of the USA and Tom Pearson of...
In the past few weeks we have seen a number of severe injuries related to climbing walls and ropes activities. The first injury happened to a young male camper. Three other campers were belaying him on the high ropes course. He gave them the command to come down, and they...
The final step (in this outline—you may think of more steps, and please share if you do…) is to hold lifeguard accountable for both their positive and negative actions. We ask a lot of lifeguards; tough hours, a repetitive task, 100% vigilance, and, on top of it all the pressure...
Another element to use to get the most out of your lifeguards is to make sure that they are completely engaged in their tasks when on duty. This is not an easy task when the majority of the time is spent scanning the pool—which any lifeguard will tell you can...
With camp fast approaching you are gearing up your program areas and cleaning them up from winter. The archery range is one of the many areas that you will be preparing. So much of the focus on archery safety is on clear commands and orderly progression by the shooters to ...
As the summer approaches and you prepare for counselors to arrive make sure you have completed a background check on all staff. There are many different types of background checks available: Criminal, Credit, Medical, Military, Sexual, and Worker’s Compensation checks are just a few. In this post we will discuss...
The first and most basic step in lifeguard performance management is to ensure that lifeguards are supervised whenever they are in the stand. This does not mean that you need to be on the deck personally every minute of the day, but it does mean that you need to have...
We all know how easy it is to have protocols—each aquatics office is full of books, binders, and filing cabinets full of policies, best practices, rules, and guidelines. The hard part is translating those policies and procedures into practices—getting the safety out of the books and on the pool deck. When the...