SV6 - Writing Supervision Plans

Purpose

To outline a general format and items that should be considered when writing a Supervision Plan.

Smaller facilities for which supervision of the aquatic environment is done by a single person may require a less detailed Supervision Plan than indicated below.

Description

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should document a summary of the outputs of the Supervision Planning process in the aquatic facility's Supervision Plan.

The Supervision Plan should contain sufficient detail to describe the core elements of the operations of the Aquatic Facility. It may include directions on where to find more detailed information not included in the Supervision Plan, such as information available on palm cards for the use of key personnel during an emergency.

Supervision Plan title and authority

The Supervision Plan should clearly identify:

• the name of the aquatic facility and the owner and / or operators
• the identity, scope and status of the Supervision Plan
• the location of the facility
• preparation details, including the date of preparation and other terms of reference
• authorisation details (person(s) responsible)
• contact details
• document control information.

Table of contents

A table of contents should be included for quick reference to selected topics.

Aims and objectives of the plan

The aim(s) and objectives of the Supervision Plan should be clearly stated at the outset. Care needs to be taken that the body of the plan is consistent with this statement.

Introduction

Facility Description

The Aquatic Facility Supervision Plan must include a brief description of the facility and its operation including but not limited to:

• the location of the facility
• a detailed map
• an inventory of all aquatic environment and their location

For large or complex facilities, it may be preferable to simply put a summary in the introductory section and provide details in an appendix.

Supervision Criteria

The introductory section of the Supervision Plan should contain a definition of the Supervision Criteria for the Aquatic Facility and an outline of the levels of supervision identified. Other assumptions underpinning the Supervision Plan should also be stated.

Legislative and Regulatory Requirements

The introductory section of the Supervision Plan should contain a list of references and compliance standards used in the compilation of the Supervision Plan. Larger facilities should also include a table in the appendices detailing where and how these compliance requirements have been addressed through the Supervision Plan.

Aquatic Hazards

The owner or operator of the aquatic facility should describe the aquatic hazards identified as having a significant impact that require some form of Operational Procedure.

Details of Aquatic Hazards

Details of all aquatic hazards or risk events that may have a significant impact to the Aquatic Facility should be provided. This description should be consistent with the types of emergencies as defined within the development of the Supervision Plan.

Types and Levels of Supervision

The types and levels of supervision identified for the facility should be described.

Roles, Responsibilities and Organisational structure

The organisational structure should embody all positions identified. The positions of staff for the facility should be listed in the Supervision Plan, together with the associated roles, responsibilities and duties of personnel assigned to these positions, and arrangements for appropriate backup.

The positions should address the areas of responsibility required to supervise the aquatic environment under all circumstances. The specific manner of translating areas of responsibilities into positions will depend on the size and the resources of a facility.

Roles of agencies, groups, industry and the community

The Supervision Plan should also clearly identify and describe the roles, responsibilities; positions and needs of all key stakeholders in providing adequate supervision at an Aquatic Facility (e.g. parents and carers).

Facility Manager / Duty Managers / Team Leaders

The person(s) fulfilling the positions of Facility Manager (or Duty Manager / or Team Leader) which supervises Lifeguards and other aquatic staff, is in charge of supervising the aquatic facility and has overall responsibility for all positions performed by facility personnel with regards to aquatic supervision.

This role requires a sound knowledge of:

• the aquatic facility
• the equipment used
• the operating procedures
• the aquatic hazards and the risks associated with them
• the application of the Supervision Plan.

While some of these duties may be assigned or delegated to other positions or personnel in the organisational structure, ultimate responsibility remains with the facility manager. The Supervision Plan should define the role, responsibilities and duties associated with the facility manager or their delegates in regards to aquatic supervision including arrangements for delegation.

Identification

The people acting in a position within the organisational structure, or conducting certain functions, should have clear methods of identification by way of uniform.

Lifeguard Operating Procedures

The Supervision Plan should include the Lifeguard Operating Procedures for the Aquatic Facility. They should be clear, simple, practical and achievable. The detail contained in the Lifeguard Operating Procedures will depend upon the characteristics of the aquatic facility. The Lifeguard Operating Procedures should include:

Employee Health and Safety Policies / Procedures

Employee Health and Safety Policies should be developed and documented for the following:

• Health and Fitness
• Sun Safety and Dehydration
• Stress and Fatigue
• Rehabilitation, Return to Work and Workers Compensation
• Manual Handing
• Drugs and Alcohol Prohibition
• Working when Pregnant
• Workplace Bullying and Harassment
• Grievance Procedures
• Infection Control

Human Resource Policies / Procedures

Human Resource Policies should be developed and documented for the following:

• Code of Conduct
• Position descriptions that clearly identify roles, responsibilities, capabilities, qualifications / skills, reporting relationships and authority levels
• Advertisement and recruitment of positions
• The assessment and selection of staff including how fitness and health assessments are conducted
• Appointment and notification of successful and unsuccessful candidates
• Staff inductions
• Staff performance and how it is managed
• Staff remuneration
• Staff leave including family and bereavement leave reporting
• Staff training and professional development

Pre-operational Procedures

Pre-operational procedures should be developed and documented detailing how communication amongst lifeguards in a team environment occurs to ensure that:

• Previous shift notes are reviewed to understand what is scheduled to happen and how this impacts the teams’ activities throughout the day
• Safety checks have been completed and documented
• Plans for any required changes as a result are discussed and agreed upon
• Weather and scheduled events and the plan of implementation is discussed and agreed upon
• Tasks to be completed have been discussed and agreed upon / allocated
• Safety notices from management, and changes to the Operational Manual or reports of emergency events have been reviewed since last on duty

Supervision Procedures

Supervision Policies should be developed and documented for the following:

• Operational handovers and briefings
• Maintenance and cleaning of the aquatic facility by Lifeguards
• Maintaining adequate levels of supervision during times of staff absenteeism
• Lifeguard positioning including how rotations and breaks occur
• How patron activity and Lifeguard activity is monitored and reported
• Radio communication procedures
• Hand Signals, Whistle Signals, Alarms and Call Signs
• Equipment repair, maintenance and fault reporting
• Lifeguards swimming while on duty
• Use of mobile phones while on duty
• Supervision of specific aquatic users
• Supervision of specific aquatic environments
• Supervision of specific equipment and / or activities and programs

Supervision Resources

The supervision resources (equipment and facilities) provided to respond to emergencies should be identified and details provided.

Administration and Management resources

The availability and location of administration and management resources to support the positions identified in the Supervision Plan should be included with the Supervision Plan. This should consist of some or all of the following:

• Uniforms and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
• Communications Equipment (Radio and Phone)
• IT Equipment ( used for Supervision administration)
• Stationery, Logs, Forms
• Username, Passwords and Web address to IT Applications / Social Media

Pre-operational inspections

Operating Policies should be developed and documented for how the following equipment will be inspected and placed within the aquatic facility prior to duty:

• Lifeguard uniforms
• Personal bum bag
• Rescue Tubes
• Rescue devices (i.e. throw ropes and reach poles)
• First Aid Kit
• Resuscitation Kits
• Defibrillators
• Emergency Sirens and Alarms
• First Aid Rooms
• Spinal Boards and accessories
• Radios and other communication devices

Depending on your aquatic facility and other staffing arrangements this may also include:

• Emergency Eye Wash
• Emergency Safety Showers
• Spill Kits
• Safety Data Sheets
• Emergency Stops
• Non-Permanent Safety Signage

Aquatic Facility Inspections

Operating Policies should be developed and documented setting out the frequency and methodology of inspecting the following components of the aquatic facility will be inspected:

• Pool and water quality
• Locker rooms/change rooms
• Recreation equipment and play structures
• Chemical storage areas, plant rooms, mechanical equipment
• Shade structures
• Water slides and features
• Steps and ramps
• Car park and traffic monitoring barricades
• Clear egress and emergency exit doors
• Weather

Reporting of Supervision Activities

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should include in the Supervision Plan the procedures for how attendance, aquatic activity and Lifeguard activity within the Aquatic Facility is monitored, reported and reviewed to inform both short term (on the day) and long term (trends analysis) supervision activities. This should include:

• Number and type of Aquatic Users by time by pool
• Size and type of activities at time intervals
• Rescues
• First Aid Treatments
• Engagement and Enforcement activities

Supporting Information

Information supporting the Supervision Plan needs to be included as attachments and should also be available as a separate information package to be given to staff when being inducted. This supporting information should be prepared in consultation with aquatic supervision staff to ensure that it meets their needs. Information required to support the Supervision Plan includes:

• Checklists and summaries of procedures
• The layout of supervision requirements on a map
• a list of contact phone numbers / radio call signs
• other relevant supporting information

Checklists and summaries of Procedures

The Supervision Plan may include master checklists or executive summaries of procedures which provide short and sharp guidance to staff on the procedures of the Supervision Plan

Location maps

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should include within the Supervision Plan a map detailing significant aquatic facility and supervision information

The map(s) should include the:

• name of the facility
• street address of the facility (including the suburb or town)
• site and supervision boundaries
• main entry/exit and alternative entrance(s)
• emergency access points
• north point indicator and distance scale
• location of supervision resources and equipment
• location of key physical barriers that limit effective supervision
• depth, length and width of all swimming pools including where all gradients start and finish
• Key Black spots (areas of high risk) within the aquatic facility
• The location of Supervision Plans, equipment, keys or access codes
• The location of where temporary signage and safety equipment is to be placed
• first aid stations

Other supporting information

Other information required to support the Supervision Plan and assist the Facility Manager should be identified and provided. This may include:

• Rosters of all staff within the aquatic environment
• Safety equipment manuals and manufacturer guidelines

Glossary of terms and abbreviations

A glossary should be prepared that explains special terms, titles or personnel, names of parts of the facility and abbreviations used in the Supervision Plan.

The management system should control the distribution, presentation, revision and accessibility of the Supervision Plan, and any supplementary information such as palm card instructions. The Supervision Plan should ensure that all official copies of the document are the latest version. All superseded copies should be accounted for and filed or disposed of, as appropriate.

Distribution of the Supervision Plan

The Supervision Plan shall be distributed / available to all staff/contracts/volunteers working within the Aquatic Facility.

At least one printed current version of the Supervision Plan should be available on site at all times.

Record Keeping

Records, which are an integral part of the Supervision Plan, should be retained to verify the adequacy of the system.

Circumstances for which records should be kept include:

• All induction programs and ongoing training, including details of personnel trained, their qualifications and professional development activities
• Desktop simulations and practical exercises at the facility
• All near misses and incidents at a facility
• Testing of the supervision procedures, including the dates of testing, methods, personnel responsible and the results of testing
• The results of monitoring
• The results of audits
• Management reviews.

Continual Improvement

To achieve the greatest benefits from continuous improvement, the owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure that continual improvement activities span across all elements including process, capability, behaviours, tools and templates used to supervise the aquatic facility.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should prioritise the initiatives that are identified in the testing, exercising and actual execution of Supervision Plans and ensure they are included within the Facility Managers work plans for the aquatic facility.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should also ensure that performance indicators support the continual improvement of the Supervision Plan to enable improvement to be measured.

These initiatives and decisions from the continual improvement process should be documented and should lead to improvement in the organisations supervision of the aquatic facility.

References

• Lifeguarding 5th Edition – Royal Life Saving Australia
• AS 3745 – 2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities
• SISCAQU013 Coordinate lifeguard service at an aquatic facility