STA ANNOUNCES NEW SAFETY PARTNER
08.02.2006
The STA has just agreed a partnership arrangement with Swimguard, which will see the two organisations work together to assist with the introduction of the British-designed safety system into swimming pools across the UK.
Swimguard’s system is designed to support lifeguards in their role; with underwater video cameras providing real-time underwater views. This helps lifeguards overcome the physical obstructions of glare, surface reflection, blind spots and line-of-sight blocked by other swimmers; effectively extending lifeguards’ human capabilities, but importantly still leaving the critical decision-making in their hands.
Steve Franks, Operations Director of the STA, said: “We all recognise that the best drowning detection system in the world is the well trained and managed lifeguard; after all, determining whether a swimmer is in difficulty or having fun is not an interpretation that a computer is able to make.”
“Moreover if a safety system only sounds an alarm when a body has been stationary on the pool floor for a minimum of 10 seconds, it could be too late and that swimmer could have become a casualty. What appeals to us about Swimguard however, is that it works in conjunction with the lifeguard, and is specifically designed not to replace them, but rather to assist them in their role.”
The STA sees the partnership as an exciting step forward for the industry as a whole and is already in the process of developing a training and awards module for the incorporation of Drowning Prevention Systems into their NaRS First Aid Lifeguarding programmes.
Steve explained: “Joining together is likely to provide a great impetus in raising safety standards in pools, both in the UK and oversees. Rather in the way that car seat belts and air bags were once regarded as an optional extra but are now compulsory safety features, so we believe that these surveillance systems will become an essential mandatory feature in all pools open to the public.”
Swimguard’s Managing Director, Jo Vitoria, is delighted with the partnership agreement and said: “It is a recommendation by the HSE in its Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools 2003 edition, that the area below the surface is supervised as well as the surface area, as this is where swimmers drown or suffer near drowning injury. This recommendation is ignored by pool operators at their peril. The HSE stipulation calls for 3-D lifeguarding and the STA, like us, recognise that the only way of doing this is with underwater video camera safety systems”.
“With this in mind, we’ve worked with the STA to develop a leasing programme which allows the system to be installed and maintained over 5 years for a fixed monthly cost; allowing as wide a number of public and privately operated pools as possible to utilise the system.”
For further information about Swimguard please visit www.swimguardsafety.com.
