In public or private, such as those of neighboring communities, swimming pools are obliged (except in cases excluded by law) to have the figure of the lifeguard as essential for the opening of their facilities, since this will be in charge of ensuring the safety of swimmers in the water.
Can anyone be a lifeguard?
In the United States, it is only necessary to attend training on first aid and emergency procedures but there is an age age age limit for this work. For those under the age of 18 years, it is advisable to bring an adult to the scene if there are any injuries. With the help of American lifeguard events, you can be a lifeguard through our lifeguard certification programs such as lifeguard certification near me, lifeguard classes near me, lifeguard certification, and much more just our site for further information.
Can I leave my children in the care of the lifeguard?
In accordance with the collective agreement to which they belong, lifeguards may not carry out, during bathing hours, any work other than their duties as rescue technicians. The supervision of the children is the responsibility of the parents, who, in addition, must answer for the damages that their children cause to the facilities or to third parties, by means of the payment of compensation.
Is it mandatory that all swimming pools 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 it is not a case of vessels intended for collective bathing, swimming or sports practices.
• Pools for collective use of neighboring communities, with less than 30 homes.
When there is an obligation, the number of lifeguards will vary depending on the meters of the pool.
However, in other communities such as USA, it will only be mandatory to have a lifeguard if the pools are over 200 m2 and their number will depend on the expected number of bathers, which will be calculated at a rate of two for every five m2 of water sheet, being a lifeguard is necessary for each group of two hundred bathers or fraction.
For those that are smaller in size, but meet certain characteristics (they are accessed by paying an entrance fee or are integrated into catering establishments, tourist accommodations, campsites, etc.) there must be a person in charge with certain training, although not a lifeguard, and the facility will have a sign in a visible place indicating that it does not have a rescue and lifeguard service.
What happens if a lifeguard leaves the facility, regardless of the reason (indisposition, going to the toilet:
Pools that are obliged to have a lifeguard cannot do without this figure at any time during bathing hours, so if, for whatever reason, the lifeguard cannot be performing his duties and there is no one to replace him, who also has the necessary training to act as a lifeguard, bathers must get out of the water.
A lifeguard is not a security guard
The functions of the lifeguard during bathing hours are that of a rescue technician. If a situation occurs inside the glass that puts health at risk, such as a fight, running around the edges of the glass, or dangerous diving, you must intervene to put an end to the risk situation.
However, if outside the facility to be monitored (cafeteria, changing rooms, garden, etc.) a situation of risk to health or property occurs (fights, robberies…) you will not be able to leave your post to intervene, and must notify another person in charge of the surveillance and control of those areas, or, in the event that due to their seriousness, this is required, the Security Forces and Bodies.
The long days of the lifeguard
Employees in accordance with the Collective Agreement must work a total of forty (40. hours per week, including one and a half days of rest between shifts and a minimum weekly rest of one and a half days.
However, if the contract is for a fixed duration (especially for a specific work or service or due to market circumstances, accumulation of tasks or excess orders), the management of the company may have a flexible working day or schedule of 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, with the possibility of exceeding the maximum working hours of forty hours per week and nine per day indicated by law, respecting the 12-hour rest period between shifts. These flexible hours will be compensated with breaks that, if the contract is of a fixed duration, maybe at the end of the contract.
What obligations does the lifeguard have?
Today, their collective agreement attributes certain functions to them, such as taking water samples or passing the pool cleaner, considered by the collective not to be within their competence, since, in addition, it prevents them from doing their salvage work correctly, since they It also requires them to “not carry out any other work during bathing hours other than their duties as rescue technicians.”
In accordance with the agreement, the lifeguard must, among other things, not leave the surveillance post under any pretext, except in the case of caring for an injured person or being relieved by another rescue technician, but always notifying the person in charge appointed by the company. , pass the pool cleaner and foot bath cleaning, monitor, control and attend to all bathers who require their services or not leave the surveillance post in case of inclement weather without the express permission of a person with sufficient authority.