How many lifeguards should a pool have

The following sections contain guidelines meant to provide general insight on a wide variety of aquatic topics. NOTE: Always follow the guidelines of your municipality or state when a disparity arises.

Emergencies in or around the pool are stressful. Using the right equipment properly can be the difference between a catastrophic situation and a minor incident. An assessment of the surroundings should be made before entering the water, and the following equipment should be used to keep the rescuer and victim safe. Lifeguards need a clear and effective medium to notify staff about potential aquatic emergencies.

This is especially important for facilities with a single guard rotation. Guards should have a two-way radio, telephone, or emergency alarm button available to them when on duty. Open communication with the rest of the facility is crucial in the event of an emergency.

A designated supervisor needs to ensure all guards have active certifications. Guards with outdated certification must be pulled from the schedule immediately. Lifeguards are required to perform dozens of complicated processes, and the only way to ensure proper technique is practice.

Mandatory in-service trainings should be organized on a monthly basis. Guards that miss an in-service training should be required to review the material that was presented and demonstrate all required skills. The following topics should be addressed throughout the year:. Few people outside of the aquatics profession understand how truly exhausting lifeguarding can be. Constant vigilance mixed with environmental elements makes surveillance a chore. To combat both physical and emotional fatigue, guards should be rotated at least every 30 minutes with an additional minute break every hour.

Look over the 5 Parts of a Safe Lifeguard Rotation for the best lifeguard rotation method. A minimum on one unannounced on-duty emergency drill should be performed each week.

Ideally, the day and time of the drill will vary from week-to-week so as to be unexpected by the staff. Fecal accidents can compromise the health and safety of patrons very quickly. Document all fecal accidents and follow the following procedures. Outdoor pools should be cleared at the first sound of thunder. Because lightning can travel as far as 10 miles, employees should not wait until the first sight of lightning to clear the pool.

Swimmers cannot reenter the pool until 30 minutes have elapsed from the last thunder strike. If large windows surround the natatorium and a storm is approaching with high winds and the potential for flying debris, swimmers should immediately exit the pool area and retreat to the locker room.

At the first sound of thunder, swimmers must exit the pools and retreat indoors until the storm has passed. Swimming Activities.

DPH does not regulate swimming activities that take place in public or school pools, unless they involve a DPH-licensed child day care center, group or family day care home, or youth camp.

Otherwise, swimming activities in public pools are overseen by towns. School districts, in collaboration with local health districts, oversee swimming activities in school pools. Day care centers and group day care homes must meet certain staff-to-child ratios when children are participating in swimming activities.

Specifically, at least one program staff person must be assigned to:. No more than 20 children can attend swimming activities at one time. They must be directly supervised by a qualified staff member who is 1 at least 20 years old, 2 CPR-certified, and 3 a lifeguard with DPH-approved certification.

Non-swimmers must be clearly identified as such in a way lifeguards and staff can recognize Conn. For family day care homes, the provider must obtain written permission and instructions from parents specifying the conditions under which the parent will allow swimming when it is part of the program Conn. If the swimming pool is located at or near the day care center or group or family day care home, it must have a fence or barrier at least four feet high with locked entrances Conn.

State Agencies, Reg. Youth Camps. DPH regulations require the director of a youth camp's swimming activities to be over age 20 and complete American Red Cross lifeguard training Conn.

This training course is offered online or onsite and takes between 24 and 27 hours to complete. Training topics include:. Several states set supervision requirements for swimming pools that are open to the public. Local health codes may also impose additional requirements. A few states also set training or certification requirements for swimming instructors. Others only require lifeguards under certain circumstances such as when a fee is charged to use the pool , and require signs when lifeguards are not mandated.

States with lifeguard requirements generally provide that lifeguards must be certified by the American Red Cross or other organizations. They also generally require lifeguards to be trained in first aid and CPR.

Some states also delineate various aspects of the lifeguards ' duties, such as specifying that lifeguards should not be assigned tasks which could distract them from observing people in the pool. Below, we describe some examples of such supervision requirements. We also provide examples of swimming instructor training requirements. These descriptions do not provide all details of these states ' laws or regulations on this topic.

For example, the summaries do not include certification or training requirements that apply only to lifeguards. The summaries also focus on general requirements for public pools, and do not discuss additional requirements or exemptions that may apply in certain settings e. California ' s Health and Safety Code requires lifeguard services at public swimming pools that are of wholly artificial construction and where a direct fee is charged to use the pool.

For all other public swimming pools, if no lifeguard service is provided, there must be signs clearly indicating that such services are not provided Ca.

Lifeguards are required for wave pools swimming pools designed to produce breaking wave action in the water and not primarily designed for standup surfing or bodyboarding Ca. California also generally requires anyone providing aquatic instruction at a public swimming pool to possess a current certificate from an American Red Cross or Y.

Such instructors must also be certified in standard first aid and CPR. These requirements do not apply to people who only disseminate written materials relating to water safety. An aquatic instructor need not be certified if another certified aquatic instructor or certified lifeguard is continuously present during the instruction period Ca.

Florida law requires swimming instructors at public swimming pools to be certified by the American Red Cross, the Y. Florida also has an additional certification requirement for swimming instructors who specialize in training people with developmental disabilities Fl.

Illinois regulations require lifeguards at all pools where children under age 16 are allowed in the pool enclosure without supervision by a responsible person who is at least age Lifeguards are also required at all wave pools and water slides.

When lifeguards are not provided, there must be a sign indicating among other things that children under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other responsible person at least age When lifeguards are required for pools, there must be one lifeguard per bathers or 2, square feet sq.

Different requirements apply for wave pools and water slides Ill. Code tit. Massachusetts regulations require pool operators to provide one or more lifeguards if the local board of health determines that they are necessary for the safe use of the pool.

When determining whether and how many lifeguards are required, health boards must consider the pool ' s size, shape, and capacity. The regulations suggest as a guideline that one lifeguard be provided for each 25 bathers. If no lifeguard is required, the pool operator must post a warning sign in a conspicuous location, stating among other things that children under age 16 should not use the pool without an adult in attendance Mass.

Code Regs.