It will be necessary to accredit training in surveillance, prevention, rescue and first aid tasks.
All swimming pools are required (except in cases excluded by law) to have the figure of the lifeguard as essential for the opening of their facilities since they will be in charge of ensuring the safety of bathers in the water.
Not surprisingly, the World Health Organization estimates that each year more than 5,000 people under the age of 19 die from drowning in Europe. From Legalities, they have collected the obligations and rights of a lifeguard, as well as questions consulted by customers, on a regular basis.
Can anyone be a lifeguard?
In most autonomous communities, it is sufficient to accredit training in surveillance, prevention, rescue and first aid tasks, given by approved entities, pending the implementation of the need to have a technical degree through the National Institute of Qualifications. In addition, it is required to be 16 years old and has a medium level of swimming. To be a lifeguard in open waters (beaches, lakes and reservoirs) it may be necessary to accredit specialized lifeguard training, which will include skills such as rescue from boats.
Can I leave my children in the care of the lifeguard?
During the lifeguard training, it is made clear that the lifeguards will not be able to carry out, during bathing hours, any other work that is not that of their functions as rescue technicians. In other words, it will only monitor them to the extent that they are in any danger in the water. The supervision of the children is the responsibility of the parents, who, in addition, must respond to the damages caused by their children to the facilities or to third parties, through the payment of compensation.
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Is it compulsory for all swimming pools to have a lifeguard?
In the absence of a national standard, we can find very different regulations depending on the autonomous community that has regulated it, either depending on the number of homes or the dimensions of the pool.
- Single-family pools and those with therapeutic or thermal waters. Also Jacuzzi -type facilities or similar when they are not vessels intended for collective bathing, swimming or sports practices.
- The pools for collective use of the neighboring communities, of less than 30 homes.
When there is an obligation, the number of lifeguards will vary depending on the meters of the pool: one in pools of up to 500 m2, two between 500 and 1000 m2 and, from then on, one more for every 1,000 m2.
What happens if a lifeguard leaves the facility, regardless of the reason (illness, going to the toilet…)
Swimming pools that are required to have a lifeguard cannot dispense with this figure at any time during bathing hours, so if, for whatever reason, the lifeguard cannot be exercising his function and there is no one to replace him, who also has the necessary lifeguard training, bathers must get out of the water.
A Lifeguard Is Not A Security Guard
The functions of the lifeguard during bathing hours are rescue technician. If a situation occurs that puts your health at risk, such as a fight, running over the edges of the glass or dangerous dives, you must intervene to end the risk situation. However, if risk situations occur outside the facility that you must monitor (cafeteria, changing rooms, garden, etc.), you will not be able to leave your post and you must notify another person in charge of surveillance or the Security Forces and Bodies.
The long hours of the lifeguard
According to the agreement, the working day will be 40 hours per week, with a minimum of 12 hours of rest between shifts and a minimum weekly rest of a day and a half. However, if the contract is for a fixed term, the company’s management may arrange a flexible day or schedule, up to one hundred hours for each worker/year, regardless of the duration of the contract.
These flexible hours will be applied on their working days and may exceed the maximum working day of forty hours per week and nine hours per day indicated in the law, respecting the 12 hours of rest between shifts. These flexible hours will be compensated with breaks that, if the contract is for a fixed duration, maybe at the end of it.
What duties does the lifeguard have?
During lifeguard training is taught that the lifeguard must, among other issues, not leave the surveillance post under any pretext, except in the case of attending to an injured person or being relieved by another rescue technician, but always inform the person in charge appointed by the company. , pass the pool cleaner and cleaning of footbaths, monitor, control and attend to all swimmers who require their services or not leave the surveillance post in the event of inclement weather without the express permission of a person with sufficient authority.