1. Injury Prevention & Facility Safety
Ch. 2 Lifeguarding
Injury Prevention & Facility Safety

2. Preventing Injuries: Patron Safety
Risk management identifying dangerous conditions/behaviors that can cause injury and then taking steps to minimize them.
Preventive lifeguarding-Most time will be spent on trying to make sure emergencies don’t happen.
7/26/2019

3. Examples of Life-threatening Injuries
Submersion (nonfatal/drowning)
Injuries to the head, neck or back (spinal injuries)
Unconsciousness
Breathing emergencies
Cardiac emergencies
Severe bleeding
7/26/2019

4. Emergencies
The two most serious aquatic emergencies to prevent are drowning and head, neck or back injuries.
Drowning- happens when a person suffocates in the water.
7/26/2019

5. Emergencies
Most head, neck and back injuries result from head-first entries into shallow water.
7/26/2019

6. Preventing Injuries—Patron Safety
Injury-prevention strategies
Communication with patrons
Facility safety checks
Patron surveillance
7/26/2019

7. Communication
Communication as an injury-prevention strategy requires lifeguards to—
Inform patrons about the potential for injury.
Educate patrons about inappropriate behavior.
Enforce rules and regulations.
7/26/2019

8. How are patrons informed of a potential injury at an aquatic facility?
7/26/2019

9. Rules and Regulations
Lifeguards need to understand the rules and regulations of the facility where they work.
Rules do not keep patrons from having fun, but are for everyone’s health and safety.
7/26/2019

10. Preventing a Patron from Engaging in Risky Behavior
Get the patron’s attention, for example, by blowing your whistle, and then saying, “Excuse me, but what you are doing is dangerous.”
Explain the hazard or danger.
Explain a safe alternative behavior or activity.
7/26/2019

11. Enforcing Rules and Regulations
Enforcing rules helps prevent injuries and encourages safe patron behavior.
When enforcing rules, always be consistent and fair.
When enforcing rules, explaining the rule is usually enough.
Asking a patron to leave the facility should always be the last resort.
7/26/2019

12. Safety Checks Safety checks are conducted—
Before opening the facility.
During daily operations.
At closing.
If you find an unsafe an unsafe condition, correct it if possible before the facility opens. If you cannot correct the problem, tell the LG supervisor immediately.
7/26/2019

13. Safety Checks
While you are conducting a safety check, you find a large crack on the pool deck near the deep end. You should—
Answer: Close off the area and tell the lifeguard supervisor right away.
7/26/2019

14. Safety Checks
Use the facility’s safety checklist when performing a safety check.
What are the general areas and equipment to inspect during a safety check?
7/26/2019

15. Weather Conditions
Lightning and thunderstorms happen more often in the summer.
In the event of thunder and lightning, lifeguards should…
Clear everyone from the water at the first sound of thunder or first sight of lightning.
7/26/2019

16. Weather Conditions
Follow your facility’s emergency action plan (EAP) for severe weather.
7/26/2019