Aquatics Blog

"And No One Noticed": Engaging All Staff in Aquatic Safety

ghedges — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:04:00 GMT

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 great example, from Kathy Fisher, the Aquatics Director at the West Morris Area YMCA in New Jersey, of how to get that done:

We held an all staff training on aquatics safety on the pool deck, during off hours from 7-9am on a Sunday morning. Prior to the training I dropped two silhouettes into the deep end of the pool.

Everyone met in the bleachers of the pool area. I gave them my lecture on drowning statistics—how many people drown annually; who is most likely to drown by sex, age, and race; where in the pool they are most likely to submerge; blind spots; 10/10 rule; etc. We discussed our “culture of safety” and how it takes everyone—regardless of their department—to be vigilant. I then asked everyone to take a closer look at the pool. They were amazed to find that there have been two submerged silhouettes lying at the bottom of the pool for the last twenty minutes—and no one noticed.

At that point, I ask everyone to get up and take a walk around the pool’s perimeter, pointing out just how difficult it is to see a victim. We discuss zone coverage and proper positioning of lifeguards. The front desk staff is always amazed to learn that we scan the bottom of the pool first. This is especially beneficial during their walk-through checks because none of them has ever thought to scan the bottom of the pool. Like most non-aquatic staff, they are waiting for someone to scream for help at the surface. They had no idea that drownings are typically silent. They do now.

Next I add a few swimmers into the pool. Everyone is amazed to see the silhouette virtually disappear under the turbulence of the water. Prior to this training, no one had any idea of what the aquatic department was up against and just how difficult the job of a lifeguard can be. They thoroughly understand now.

Read more about water turbulence and “Disappearing Dummies”

I run this drill several times a year, and it gets the most dramatic response from staff. It has been incredibly helpful in getting the attention of other departments and having them understand their role in aquatic safety.

As an aquatics staff member, you know how difficult your job, and the jobs of your lifeguards, can be. Finding a way to give non-aquatics staff an experience that simulates your challenge can help drive home the importance of aquatic safety to everyone in your organization, and will contribute to creating a safe pool environment. We hope that this story will help you motivate the same change in your staff and strengthen your efforts to prevent death by drowning.

Aquatic Safety for Special Events

ghedges — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:35:00 GMT

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 The Redwoods Group—if you haven’t, it can be viewed at http://media.ymca.net/aquatic-safety-0910/index.html.

The Redwoods Group and the YMCA of the USA share the same goal: that no person ever drowns in YMCA water, at any time. In reaching that goal, our first step needs to be to address the highest risk times first.

Why do people drown more often during special events? Lots of reasons: Swimmers with unknown ability, unexpected situations, poor planning, poor decision making by lifeguards and management, and a lack of non-swimmer protection, to name only a few factors.

As the webinar explains in more depth, there are three basic steps to take to keep your special events safe:

1. Heightened Attention to Event Management

2. Increased Lifeguard Preparation and Presence

3. Additional Non-swimmer Protection

These steps are of the utmost importance, but they are not always easy to accomplish on the pool deck. If they were easy, we wouldn’t have a problem. But difficulty is no excuse for leaving our pools less safe than we know they must be. Remember, only zero tolerance toward mediocrity and complacency on the pool deck will lead to zero drowning in the water.

You’ve heard from us, now we need to hear from you. What are your questions and concerns? What do you think will work or won’t work? What creative solutions have you put in place at your YMCA? Sharing your thoughts here could ultimately save a life somewhere else!

Thanks,

Gareth Hedges

Lifeguard Chair

Admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Recently we have received a number of inquiries regarding the appropriate seat height for lifeguard chairs. A number of factors should be considered when determining the right lifeguard chairs for your pools. They include:

Size of the zone the lifeguard has to scan
Depth of water underneath the chair and in the zone the guard is scanning
Glare potential on the water
Number of guard chairs present

The Redwoods Group typically recommends a chair with a 42 to 48-inch seat height which is appropriate for most indoor and outdoor pools. At this height the risk of injury to the guard is reduced and the chair is usually high enough for the guard to see all areas of the zone. There are a number of chair designs to choose from including those with standing areas adjacent to the chair allowing the lifeguards to change their body position every 5 minutes.

Lifeguard chairs are designed with seat heights ranging from 30 inches to 6 feet or more. Positioning your lifeguard in a 30-inch height chair is adequate for situations of low water depth and smaller scanning zones when glare is not an issue. With a larger zone and deeper water it becomes very difficult to see the bottom of the pool from a 30-inch chair. In order to determine if a 30" chair is right for you, place a dummy at different points of the zone. Have one of your shorter lifeguards stand where the lifeguard chair will be positioned. If the lifeguard can see the dummy from this standing position a 30-inch chair is adequate.

Another basic rule of lifeguard chair selection is to keep the chair height less than the water depth adjacent to the chair. If you have a six-foot high chair consider moving it to another portion of the pool or replacing it with another style of chair. Six-foot high chairs are great for reducing glare and seeing distant parts of the zone. However, they pose a greater risk of injury to your lifeguards when they exit the chair in an emergency, and when just entering or exiting the seated position.

In order to determine the appropriate chair position, height and number of chairs needed, validate your scanning zones with a dummy on the bottom of the pool. If a guard cannot see the dummy in every location of the zone, then a different position, a higher chair, or more guards (i.e., more zones) are needed.

Your lifeguards should never be positioned in an ordinary height or flexible plastic chair, and never away from the edge of the pool. These positions are inadequate and have been contributing factors in many drownings.

Be sure to replace and/or repair worn steps on all of your lifeguard chairs. A number of lifeguards have been hurt this summer by slipping and falling on steps in need of repair. Train your guards how to enter and exit the chair with their rescue tube in-hand. Tangled tube straps are cause for injury.

Finally, always check your state, county, and/or city pool codes. Some of them mandate a specific height chair.

Set your lifeguards up for success - equip them with chairs that are safe for them so they can guard and protect the patrons you serve.

Get More From Less: Performance Management Series (Part 4 of 4)

ghedges — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:31:00 GMT

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 of knowing that lives are at stake if they should fail in their assigned tasks. Lifeguards are professionals, and should be respected and treated as such when they perform as professionals. Likewise, the consequences for failing to live up to the high standard set for them should be equally stringent.

The best way to respect lifeguards as professionals is to pay them like professionals—not the low wages that YMCA and JCC lifeguards ordinarily receive. Unfortunately the lifeguard pay scale is usually not the decision of the aquatics director, and budgets that are already stretched thin make it difficult to pay good lifeguards a wage commensurate with their skills and responsibilities. That means that we need to find alternative ways to reward lifeguards for a job well done. Get creative; a lifeguard of the month program, a reserved parking spot, local gift certificates, and YMCA or JCC gear can all be used as incentives for exceptional performance.

Positive reinforcement and the recognition of a job well done is the best way to promote performance management and to foster high morale among your team of lifeguards. A complete system of accountability, though, requires both the carrot and the stick: in addition to rewarding good behavior, we must address and remediate guards that fail to do the job.

Most minor infractions—failing to wear the uniform properly, wearing sneakers on deck, etc.—can be addressed simply by calling the problem to the guard’s attention and explaining why there is a problem and what the ramifications will be for future infractions. Major infractions—texting while in the lifeguard stand, or leaving the pool unattended for example—must be dealt with immediately. Such disregard for the safety of the swimmers in the pool should be met with termination of the employee’s employment, or at the very least removal from the pool deck until the employee receives remedial training.

The area in the middle presents a more difficult problem. Where lifeguards are consistently mediocre, where they follow protocols but have poor results in scanning or skills audits, then the problem must be addressed even without one specific incident to draw on. In this case, you will need to be very attentive in making the lifeguard aware of the deficiencies and coaching that guard to better results in the future. However, if a lifeguard, despite attention and additional training, can not or will not perform at the high level that is demanded, then it is necessary to find that person a different job at the YMCA or JCC—one where the lives of members are not directly at stake.

Remember to tie the rewards and remediation you use to quantifiable good performance, not just maintenance of the status quo. Track the response times for manikin or silhouette drops, track performance on skills audits and rescue drills, and collect member feedback from Quick Check cards. Using quantifiable measures will ensure that you are impartial and consistent in how lifeguards are held accountable for their actions.

Get More from Less: Performance Management Series (Part 3 of 4): Engagement

ghedges — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:33:00 GMT

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 be a pretty boring job. But engagement is essential—a lifeguard that spends hours at a time sitting bored in the lifeguard stand won’t be ready to identify a guest in distress and react when an emergency occurs.

So first, keep shifts as short as possible; optimally no more than thirty minutes without a break from scanning, and at least a ten minute break every hour. Next, train guards to be vigilant during operational hours. This includes visual or video audits of the guards, but more importantly, this means getting the lifeguards out of the chair and moving. Every guard should expect to get wet every day, whether it is performing a staged rescue, recovering the manikin or silhouette, or participating in a drill or quick exercise. The tasks should be performed randomly, so that lifeguards are always on their toes, rescue ready, waiting to make the next rescue—whether it is staged or real.

Lifeguard engagement can be achieved off the guard stand as well, and can also help to improve your staff retention from season to season and from year to year. Use in-service and staff meeting time to foster a team atmosphere among the lifeguards. This can be accomplished through the addition of team building exercises, games, and social activities. Make sure the guards know that the success or failure of one guard means a success or failure for all, and that each guard must be accountable to his or her peers. Set clear standards and goals for each individual guard and the entire staff to strive to reach during a season. These steps provide an incentive for the staff to come to work, day after day and year after year to be part of the team, and to be with their friends—and not to let their teammates and friends down when they are on duty.

Please post your comments, questions, or methods you like to motivate and engage your guards. I look forward to your feedback. Thanks!

Get More from Less: Performance Management Series (Part 2 of 4): Supervision

ghedges — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:31:00 GMT

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 a plan to make sure that lifeguards are monitored and held accountable for their performance at all times. Best practice is to have someone—yourself or another responsible manager or supervisor—on deck approximately every thirty minutes. This is commonly referred to as the “thirty-minute rule” for managers.

There is no substitute for personal presence on the pool deck—“MBWA” (Managing by Walking Around)—but there are other ways to keep your staff supervised when you can’t be there yourself.

One of the easiest methods is to use Aquatic Quick Check forms (available on request from your Risk Manager or at www.redwoodsgroup.com/YMCA/Form_AQC.pdf) to get feedback on lifeguard performance. These forms can be filled out by other supervisors, non-aquatics staff, program participants or parents, or any other person that observes the lifeguards. In addition to getting frequent feedback on lifeguard performance, the quick check cards also help educate other staff and members on the high level of professionalism required of a lifeguard.

Unannounced audits are another proven method for supervising lifeguards. Visual observations, skills checks, and video audits can all be used, and, as you will read next week, also support the “Engagement” element of performance management. Be creative: use security cameras to observe guards, ask members to participate in rescue skill drills—remember we are not only striving to supervise guards at one specific time, but are striving to create a culture of aquatic safety throughout your YMCA or JCC.

Please post your comments, questions, or methods you like to supervise your guards. I look forward to your feedback. Thanks!

Get More from Less: Performance Management Series (Part 1 of 4)

ghedges — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:39:00 GMT

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 safety stays in the books—when there is a gap between our policies and our practices, between what we saying we are doing and what we are actually doing—accidents happen. Performance management closes the gap.

Performance management means getting everything out of the limited staff resources you have. It makes sure you are getting everything that you are paying for. But getting the most out of your lifeguards isn’t easy. The truth is that lifeguards are often young and underpaid workers. They are usually teenagers that are driven and distracted by the array of other influences in their lives. Frequent staff turnover leaves you teaching the same policies to new staff over and over again. Getting the most out of your staff is hard work and requires constant attention, but there are a few basic steps that make the job easier: Supervision, Engagement, and Accountability.

Over the next three weeks I will outline how hard work, creativity, attention to detail in these areas can help you get the most from your staff. Of course I can only provide the outline—I’ll be looking to you to add the details about how you keep your pools safe every day. Thanks!

Residential Pool Programs: A Little Bit of Revenue…A Lot of Liability

ghedges — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:54:00 GMT

In an effort to increase revenue and to expand programming, some YMCAs make the decision to provide aquatics services for residential homeowners—most commonly swim lessons and lifeguard services. Although these programs can bring in a few dollars and can have some benefit for the YMCA and the homeowner, the added risk and liability the YMCA incurs far outweighs the benefits.

And how many dollars can the programs really bring in? After we add the cost of the swim instructor, the lifeguard, time and miles for transportation, set-up and supervision time for the aquatics director, the increase in revenue is minimal at best. And in return for the minimal revenue increase, the YMCA exposes itself to greatly increased risk.

Whenever a YMCA runs a program in a residential pool, there is simply too much risk that cannot be controlled. First and foremost of course is the risk of drowning. It is extremely difficult in a backyard pool to ensure that the same safety practices are in place as exist at the YMCA, including the use of lifeguards and emergency equipment such as backboards and AEDs. In addition to the risk of drowning and water-related injuries in a home pool, other increased risks include transportation for employees and the increased risk of sexual abuse due to the possibility of one-on-one time between staff and children.

With backyard swim lesson programs the increased risk may be balanced against the benefits of providing swim lesson services to those who otherwise may not be able to get them. In the case of providing off-site lifeguard services, those benefits don’t exist. “Rent-a-Guard” or similar lifeguard service programs are a simple exchange—minimum revenue for maximum risk. Whether the YMCA actively rents lifeguards or the lifeguards use the YMCA name to promote their own services, the YMCA may incur liability for a drowning in a pool over which it had no active control.

The solution: think about other ways to increase revenue through aquatics at the YMCA. There you can keep costs and risk low and under your supervision. Please comment and share your ideas: new programs, new marketing plans, and new ways to use the limited pool space you have to bring swimmers to the YMCA pool—instead of incurring the risks of bringing the YMCA to a backyard pool. Thanks!

Lifeguard Ratios

Ttrammell — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:32:00 GMT

During these tough economic times the question of lifeguard ratios is a popular topic. Some states and local regulatory agencies have established lifeguard ratios for public pool. However often this number is based on square footage of water or because someone felt this was a good idea. Many of these ratios that are established by the state or local authorities are ridiculously high. The YMCA of the USA recommends a minimum of one lifeguard to 25 swimmers as a baseline (Appendix A: On the Guard II 4^th edition). But more importantly the YMCA of the USA stresses the number of lifeguards should reflect the swimming ability of people in the water (pg On the Guard II 4^th edition). This clearly implies a ratio should be a fluid entity allowing for staffing increases when bather load increases or when there are high risk swimmers in the water. To look at lifeguard ratio as black and white makes forecasting a budget easier, but does not make your pool safer.

To calculate the number of lifeguards you need on deck try the following:

1. Validate your zones by using a silhouette placed in different locations within the zone making sure your lifeguard can see all placements. If not your lifeguard's zone may be too large---even without swimmers in the water.

2. Take a look at the bather usage is there programming, open swim or special groups? Each of these requires different staffing approaches.
3. Be prepared to staff up or staff down when the unexpected happens. Warehouse staff or have staff "on call" during times that are unpredictable. Create a policy with an accountability piece to send staff home when the pool becomes less populated.

Unlike childcare ratios that are required for licensing, lifeguard ratios often fall victim to budget cuts. To keep your pools safe put the appropriate number of lifeguards on deck with zones that are manageable.

The Millennial Generation (Gen Y) and Anger Management

Admin — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:58:00 GMT

In today's YMCA many generations are employed at the same time the Silents (born before 1946), Boomers (born 1946-1963), Gen Xs (born 1964-1976) and Gen Ys (born 1977-1986). Often biases and assumptions people have arise from the time period from which they are born, and these can create overwhelming conflicts in the YMCA. All staff need to work together and utilize everyone's strengths in order to meet the mission of the YMCA.

There has been a great deal of discussion in the past several years particularly about Generation Y (born 1977-1986), in the workplace. They have the reputation of being impatient, demanding and possess a sense of entitlement. They are accused of having no loyalty to a company and change jobs frequently.

The motivations for this generation have changed. You can't bark orders at them the way orders were barked at you when you were their age. Back then, you were happy to have a job because there were other people in line, waiting to take your job. Today, staffs realize they are on the demand side of the equation. They can quit today and be employed tomorrow somewhere else.

Communication is another major barrier, as the Gen Y staff speak in a language all their own, and they seem to have difficulty understanding your requests. They see themselves as calm and peaceful, but you may see signs that they anger quickly - even to the point of aggression. They are often impatient, skeptical, and disengaged. They tend to be blunt and expressive with not a lot of tact and diplomacy. But they are also adaptable, tolerant, efficient multi-taskers who are very techno savvy.

Here are a few ways to help reduce anger in the Gen Y staff

Hire the right person

Not everyone in this generation have the same values and they highly pride themselves on individuality
Not everyone was meant to work at the YMCA
Provide a peer mentor who has a positive proven track record and have them make contact the new hire to establish a relationship as soon as possible

Train and Mentor

Encourage their values and learning styles, allow them to have input on their training
Set expectations often and clearly, but most of all explain why or validate your policies. If you can't, then re-evaluate the policy and its purpose.
Never compromise on your boundaries and consequences for wrong doing. Be consistent with enforcement.
Don't overload them with too much upfront information, but rather, provide them with easy access to the answers and information they need to perform. This way, the training is ongoing and applicable and gives them the confidence to perform up to their capabilities
Recognize and reward on the spot

To lessen the chance of anger on the job

Having a staff journal or create a blog type of feedback system
Work to decreasing stress and frustration

Regular scheduled breaks
Communicate through advanced technology (text messages, emails, blog pages)
Create a procedure for the staff to call a supervisor for a "time out" as needed when things become unbearable
Teach staff to identify pre-anger feelings or thoughts and role play situations in in-service training

Listen to your staff without judgmental thoughts
Show understanding of what is going on in their life and work to schedule around the important events in their life. Give early notice of trainings and meetings which they are expected to attend.
Acknowledge and accept another's point of view
Refrain from imposing your views and beliefs on your staff
Provide opportunities for social interaction among staff as this generation is very social
Allow the staff to have 10 minutes before the start of the day to mentally prepare and prioritize their activities. Then plan on 10 minutes at the end of the day to debrief from the events of the day.

(Article Reference: "Employing Generation Why" by Eric Chester)