Great to complete this superb new build project for Hart District Council who have invested in our Poolview Safer Swimming System for their new Leisure Centre which will be managed by one of our partners - Everyone Active.
A really beautiful facility and swimming pool
Ronan Kennedy, aged three years and ten months, drowned in a jacuzzi
A three-year-old boy died after drowning in a bubbling jacuzzi at a hotel kids club, an inquest heard.
The little boy drowned as people walked close by, and was said to be invisible in the churning water for a number of minutes.
A grandfather eventually spotted the boy floating, who appeared at first to be swimming, and raised the alarm.
CCTV footage revealed the final movements of Ronan Kennedy, aged three years and ten months, from Templederry in Co Tipperary at the Quality Hotel in Youghal, Co Cork.
Quality Hotel in Youghal, Co Cork
The footage showed the child exit the changing room and walk straight to the jacuzzi, Dublin Coroner's Court heard.
The child's parents, Bridget and John Kennedy, called on the government to introduce regulations for swimming pools immediately, the Irish Mirror reports.
The inquest heard that pools in Ireland are currently unregulated with regard to safety.
In a statement released after the inquest, the Kennedy family said: "Ronan was a magical little boy.
"He loved to play outside, go farming and he adored his food.
"He was full of life, love and was extremely affectionate.
"This cannot happen to any other child.
"We ask that proper protocols be put in place regarding child safety within swimming pools,"
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Garda James Heffernan of Youghal Garda Station reviewed CCTV footage taken at the hotel pool on July 13 2015.
The Quality Hotel, Redbarn, Youghal, Co Cork (Photo: Google Streetview)
He said Ronan walked out of the changing room directly to the water's edge.
Gda Heffernan said: "He walked straight ahead from the door to the lip of the jacuzzi.
"He stepped into the seat of the jacuzzi and then he stepped directly into the middle of the jacuzzi.
"Unfortunately he is not visible for a number of minutes until he drifts out into the pool where he is found."
Kids club staff were placing armbands on children next to the pool near the reception area at the time, the court heard.
"Persons were walking very close and he is just not visible unfortunately," Gda Heffernan said.
Liam Moloney was at the pool with his son and grandson when he found the child floating underwater.
"I saw this little lad, I thought he was swimming underwater at first," he told.
He noticed the child was not moving. "I touched his head and lifted him out of the pool," Mr Moloney, who raised the alarm, added.
The inquest heard from Irish Water Safety (IWS) CEO John Leech who said there are no formal regulations for swimming pools, either public or private, in Ireland.
The pool at the Quality Hotel is privately owned by the hotel.
Mr Leech said pools are currently self-regulated, that there is no official register of swimming pools in Ireland and there is no obligation to follow IWS guidelines.
He recommended that an inspectorate be established to formulate and implement regulation in relation to safety in order to minimise future drownings.
Mr Leech said IWS guidelines for children of Ronan's age recommend a staff ratio of one to four.
A day after arriving at the hotel for a short break, the Kennedy family rushed to Cork University Hospital and later to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin, where Ronan was pronounced dead the following day.
The cause of death was hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy due to drowning according to Pathologist Dr Deirdre Devanney.
The verdict was death by drowning.
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane recommended that there be a dedicated lifeguard on duty at all times at swimming pools and the lifeguard should not be a person engaged in other supervisory duties.
The coroner is to contact the relevant Minister to recommend that a dedicated water safety inspectorate is required to formulate regulations and ensure their implementation.
The coroner commended the family's decision to donate little Ronan's organs and thanked them on behalf of those who benefited.
"There is very little one can say to console you in this situation, this is some small thing you can take great consolation from," Dr Cullinane said.
The Kennedy family raised in excess of €40,000 for Temple Street Hospital following Ronan's death.
Their statement said: "I hope no other family has to carry the pain that we do on a daily basis.
"We would suggest that a competent Statutory Body be appointed to impose, monitor and enforce these protocols.
"We believe that regulations have been promised and we would call upon the Government to deal with this promptly as another summer season is upon us and immediate changes need to be made."
Blended Lifeguarding - by Gary Johnson
On 6th March I wrote an article "championing" the phrase Blended Lifeguarding. Gary Johnson (See Clearly Now) the creator of Pool Super Vision™ in Australia was kind enough to to contribute his thinking and has now expanded on this through his own excellent blog.
Please follow this link and read the full article which, as always, is very thought provoking and insightful.
‘Prevent drowning and prepare for drowning; do everything in your power to prevent it and then prepare your team like it’s inevitable’. – Gary Johnson
Blended Lifeguarding - The Future ............
Definition of ‘Blended Lifeguarding’
Have you ever been looking for a word or a key phrase to describe something, but just couldn’t quite grab the right terminology from your memory banks or creative thinking to ‘tick the box’? I have been “suffering” with this dilemma for quite some time now, trying to find a simple phrasal verb that would express what Poolview Ltd is all about!
I recently wrote a couple of articles, “I don’t want my Lifeguards to rely on technology” and “Technology & Lifeguards - Water & Oil” which express my thinking, but I couldn’t articulate this with a group of two or more words that communicated my single idea!
Then out of the blue, a trusted industry acquaintance calls me and offers up ‘Blended Lifeguarding’ Eureka!
Here is my definition of what Blended Lifeguarding means.
Blended Lifeguarding is a technique which combines the traditional 10:20 scanning methods of pool supervision, safety and rescue with technology driven drowning detection and prevention systems. This creates a working practice which harmonises the best capabilities of each to produce a safer swimming environment for all.
When pulling my thoughts together for this, I was reminded of a methodology that was produced in the late 90’s by the then ISRM called the “Integrated Management System” for Leisure Centres. Simple idea - involved a fair bit of work to get it set up and running - but worked well. In simplistic terms, it utilised much of what we already did and of course knew, but it blended our knowledge and work practices and integrated everything together to produce an efficient and effective management framework.
Similarly, today, it really does not take much imagination to realise that we mustn’t separate the two resources that we can have on poolside i.e. well trained lifeguards and drowning prevention technology. There is a good marriage to be had there
When I spoke with author Gary Johnson of “See Clearly Now- Aquatic Risk Management” in Australia he said:
“Doing CPR is a lottery. You can do everything right and still lose a life, you could do everything wrong and save a life. The one thing we do know is that the sooner we start CPR, the more likely it is that the person will make a recovery. There are many studies concluding that lack of supervision is the main cause of most fatal drownings. In a lifeguarded environment, one of the underlying causes is the time it took to detect the drowning person. In court cases, time and time again, we see a lifeguard’s inability to detect a drowning person soon enough become the soft point of any defence. In civil litigation, this is rarely left unexploited. The accusation being that your lifeguards failed because they aren’t well trained, in fact they’re incompetent and by association, so are you, their supervisor or manager.
Not only is detecting a drowning below the water difficult because of things like glare and line of sight, the human issues are immense and only recently beginning to be understood. Sometimes lifeguards don’t get it ‘right’, not because they’re bad lifeguards but because they’re human. Humans have a failure rate; even vigilant, well trained humans have a failure rate. It might be lower but they have one. No one should be surprised by this.
So while ever we rely on bare human detection, we’ll have fatal and non-fatal drowning at public swimming facilities. If we’re serious about protecting swimmers, protecting lifeguards and protecting industry professionals then blended lifeguarding needs to be a consideration. The more affordable these technologies become the more difficult it will be to demonstrate due diligence without them.”
I also asked a number of leisure professionals for their comments and this is what they added:
Steve Goddard - Head of Leisure Services in South Norfolk says,
“Modern lifeguarding is a skill that is enhanced by the technology available to us that in days gone by was a distant dream for operators. By in-bedding a robust RLSS/NPLQ qualification and training regime, aligned with drowning prevention technology the risks associated with managing pools are significantly reduced. The confidence of guaranteeing 100% underwater visibility and coverage in all conditions and eradicating the constant challenge of internal and external glare (creating blind spots), is invaluable. When technology is integrated into staff training, this builds a formidable “Blended Lifeguarding” system to combat historical, operational challenges. I would not be without it. “
George Lampshire – Safety & Quality Manager
“For years, we as Operators of Pool facilities have wrestled with visibility issues such as glare, reflection, changing seasons and Lifeguard positioning. Despite all those issues being overcome, clarity of activity under the water is disturbed as soon as bathers break the surface. technology gives Lifeguards the ability to clearly see and understand what’s going under the surface. Blended Lifeguarding gives Lifeguards the methodology to combine their skill set with technology which in turn gives them a greater opportunity to pick up issues earlier.
Donna Bristoll - Operations Manager – MCIMSPA
“Exciting times as the practice of lifeguarding moves forwards and progresses. As a trainer, I deliver and ensure new and existing lifeguards have the practical skills and knowledge to supervise and observe pools competently, but know that some of them will have the benefit and support of full underwater vision and aids to assist their decision to take action, and evidenced support in the follow up stages. This blend of practical skills, knowledge and technology, is a positive move forward, for lifeguards and the management of lifeguards.”
David Monkhouse – Director – Leisure-net
"Having been a lifeguard who got wet through the line of duty and who also carried out CPR on 4 customers in his career, I would always come back to the people element. The emotional turmoil of these events to customers, family and team is massive. Anything we can do to help reduce the number of times this occurs, we should take. Drowning Detection Technology alone will not stop it happening, nor will it get the customer out of the water. Blended Lifeguarding will reduce the number of times a minor issue escalates to something none of us wants to experience."
Andy Read - Head of Safety - Places for People Leisure Management
“The simplicity of the “Blended Lifeguarding” concept is very straightforward as we take what we have already in place ......a 'well trained and qualified Lifeguard' and combine this with ever improving drowning prevention and detection technology. The mix of the two togetherproduces a more robust layer of safety protection and awareness.”
All very encouraging comments and it will be very interesting to see what and where this leads us to (if anywhere), but for me personally, it hopefully will reinforce my message that pool supervision and the safety of swimmers is not about a choice between Lifeguards OR Technology, it is simply not an either/or question but rather a “how”?
· How can we make best use of our Lifeguards abilities?
· How can we make best use of the technology available?
· How can we best integrate our Lifeguards and Technology into our day to day to routines?
My hope is that we can promote the concept of ‘Blended Lifeguarding’ in the hope that it will become an accepted working terminology and methodology from now and into the future.
It's good from time to time to post something that is not about a swimming pool, an installation or bad news.
This is a good news story within a local community. For the 2016-17 season Poolview have sponsored the shirts of Banbridge Rugby Clubs U16 team. The U16's have had a tough season, but without doubt (in my opinion) the most improved team of the season so far.
The dedication everyone have shown in getting out to training and sticking with it is starting to shine through. These lads are now a team - a proper team of players who have stuck together through thick and thin - no longer 15 individuals on the park.
We done lads - keep with it!
Blend - put or combine (abstract things) together.
Technology - a scientific or industrial process, invention, method, or the like.
Lifeguard - an expert swimmer employed to protect bathers from drowning or other accidents.
At Poolview, we are harmonizing Technology and the role of the Lifeguard to improve swimmer safety and increase efficiency, thus supporting fully trained Lifeguards with their responsibilities
The start of 2017 brought another incremental step within the growth history and success of Poolview Limited.
We have not only added to our fleet of vehicles, but now have employed an additional full time Poolview Engineer to drive this little beauty around the UK, helping to ensure that our after-care service remains at the highest level and matches our partners expectations.
Exciting times!
It has taken us a few years, but we now have our first Poolview Safer Swimmer System installed in Birmingham with a further new build project well under way.
The installation team worked throughout the night last week and completed all the necessary works to this relatively new pool, providing "Additional Essential Vision" for thier Lifeguards.
Our Poolview System is part of a protocol we call "Blended Lifeguarding" wherby we harmonise lifeguarding with technology to improve swimmer safety and increase lifeguard efficieny.
Absolutely delighted to be installing our first Poolview Safer Swimming System for 1Life Leisure Management Company in Wokingham.
First fix works now completed and now ready for final commissioning and then staff training.
Our Poolview System is part of a protocol we call "Blended Lifeguarding" wherby we harmonise lifeguarding with technology to improve swimmer safety and increase lifeguard efficieny.
Just completed a very successful series of site visits in Scotland, building up our network of installations and helping to pave the way for future projects throughout the region.
Fantastic new community pool - not quite ready for the public.
Looking forward to returning next month to present Poolview to an influential network of Leisure Safety Managers within the Central belt.
Two installs in 2 weeks with a 3rd commencing today. Last week we where in West Sussex, on site late Monday evening, preparing to install the Poolview Safer Swimming System in a 25m x 4 lane pool.
With another new addition to our workforce (more about that later), the team made steady but speedy progress.
25m x 4 lane swimming pool in West Sussex
A great start to 2017
Delighted to have commissioned our Poolview Safer Swimming System in a Freedom Leisure operated new build site in Worcestershire.
The gleaming new Leisure Centre looks fantastic with it's clean cut sharp lines and the pool area certainly has an inviting bright and airy feel.
Built by Speller Metcalfe - Architect Archial Norr
I originally posted this in March of last year following a tragic accident in Ireland. As the winter is now really due to set in with a cold snap and further storms which draw us close to water to observe "mother nature", I thought I would re-post and remind everyone of the dangers and how to escape a sinking car if you do get caught.
So once again it is worth watching this video with original footage from ABC News
It could save yours and your family's life!
The Resqme Car Escape Tool you can get on Amazon for just £10 - Hang it from the rear-view mirror!
ResQMe
This is how we leave a swimming pool after completing our first fix "civil works" have been completed - you would be hard pressed to tell that we had been on site at all. Our install team takes great pride in ensuring that everything we do is as inconspicuous as possible.
Just a matter now for the technical team to arrive on site, plug up and switch on!
First fix civil works completed on schedule in Derbyshire
I count myself really lucky in the role I have in Poolview Ltd. I get to travel around the country - visiting swimming pools, talking to Lifeguards, Supervisors, Plant Engineers, Duty Managers, General Managers, Contract Managers, Directors, Architects, Structural Engineers, Water Experts, Manufacturers, Governing Bodies, Drowning Prevention Experts and Technologists, actually the list goes on and on - it’s quite impressive when I write it down and look and realise that I really am blessed to be ‘allowed’ into many of these people’s lives.
What binds us all together (whether some of them want it or not!) is my drive to constantly push the notion of Drowning Prevention Technology (DPT) to support Lifeguards, to maybe somehow stop a tragedy occurring in someone’s pool and avert the heartache for all the unfortunate individuals that may get caught up in the subsequent ramifications.
"It will never happen here"
I have written about how the most effective layer of protection can be added within the pools design - long before a sod of turf has even been cut.
Sometimes though, something happens that makes me stop and think about the ‘BIGGER’ picture, about the importance of each element, understanding that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What am I getting at here?
Let me elaborate, what if every pool in the country was of an identical design? The best you can get in terms of perfect water, lines of sight, zero glare, the best DPT that exists etc. etc. in other words NO design flaws - No faults - you get my drift? Would outcomes be any different? Fewer fatalities or near misses?
In my opinion - not really, well not significantly.
So what would cause the inconsistency?
You have probably concluded correctly - we do – ‘us individuals’.
Let me put this on record - I’m a fan of the RLSS and always have been. Since I did my Bronze Medallion in 1981 - stumbled into the industry as a Lifeguard without a care or worry in the world!
The RLSS works tirelessly to raise standards, to ensure that the effectiveness of lifeguards with their qualification is second to none in the world. Constantly reviewing and fine tuning the NPLQ, ‘Guarding Lives - Saving Lives’.
So how come when I go into facilities, watch Lifeguards, read NOP’s and EAP’s, talk to management and staff - both on and off record that I hear and see so many inconsistencies?
Any Lifeguard with an NPQL has a brilliant resource behind them - a handbook second to none - almost step by step guidance to cover every eventuality. The Trainer Assessors have an excellent and evolving training package to work from and this coupled with drive and enthusiasm should be producing consistent, effective and excellent highly trained Lifeguards. -
Here is where I think the root of the problem lies – complacency:
“It will never happen here”
“We have never had a fatality”
“No-one has drowned here in 30 years”
“We have it covered - don’t you worry”
All of the above have been said to me personally on my travels (although only on very odd occasions). Thankfully - fatalities in lifeguarded swimming pools are rare events in the UK. Swimming is relatively low risk in the big scheme of things.
You know what though? If you haven’t had a drowning or near drowning, you’re lucky and on the right side of probability - you might be due one. So Lifeguards need to stay alert, be well drilled and trained, TOTALLY conversant with their NOP’s and EAP’s, understand the consequences of ‘bad lifeguarding’ and of course have the complete support of management. It’s difficult to beat an enjoyable, productive and inclusive series of staff training sessions?
There is by their very nature a greater exchange of best practice and continuity of standards amongst the larger ‘private’ leisure operators – how best to share these benefits between individual authorities is something to consider – cluster groups maybe?
We as an industry need to find a method of exchanging “near miss” information. In this way, we can keep the “It will never happen here” thoughts pushed firmly to the back. Again, this is where I am very fortunate. I get to hear on my travels many many “near miss” stories – these actually form the back bone of my Poolview training sessions – they are real and help push the message home to unsuspecting lifeguards.
We shouldn’t perhaps just let out a sigh of relief after a “near miss”, should we have a forum to “share lessons learned” or the “cause”? To make it REAL
Becoming a Lifeguard by passing an exam is only the start of a journey. The hardest and most important lessons learned comes from participation in different situations. The things we learn in real-life can never be learned from only books.
Surely Lifeguards can only benefit from hearing about “actual” incidents which really happened, how they unfolded and what the subsequent consequences were?
I remember being at a seminar session a few years ago which focused on three unfortunate UK fatalities in lifeguarded swimming pools. The entire forum dissected every single second and aspect of the incidents following the victims recovery from the water, right through to the inquest.
I remember leaving feeling empty and let down as not one speaker spoke about the most important aspect of each incident.
The 180 seconds before the rescue!
This is the information we need to share – ignorance is NOT bliss
Whilst in Stuttgart we met up with our SenTag partners on their stand to see the latest system upgrades and configurations which has just been released.
Directors of SenTag and Poolview Ltd at interbad in Stuttgart
SenTag acts as a layer of pool security either with or without patrolling lifeguards. The SenTAG security wristband continuously monitors depth and time for every swimmer and alerts if preset thresholds are exceeded.
The SENTAG Wristband monitors time and pressure for each user. Wristbands are set to a depth and time at which the alarm is raised. If the user should spend too much time under the pre-set depth an alarm is raised by signal from wristband to the SENTAG control unit.
The lifeguard receives an alarm that indicates which pool area that needs attention.
In this way the SENTAG wristband emulates the supervision of a lifeguard who should be naturally concerned if a swimmer stays too long beneath the surface.
We have just returned from our visit to interbad which is an international event on the theme of both public and private swimming pools, saunas and spas. Visitors and exhibitors included operators of swimming pools, hotels, fitness centres, spas and sports facilities, as well as investors, architects and planners from swimming pool manufacture and retail.
At interbad, there were nearly 450 exhibitors from Germany and abroad and visitors from around 64 countries, which included operators, swimming pool manufacturers and retailers, hoteliers, architects, planners and private constructors. This meeting point for thesector makes it possible to experience new products and features at the trade fair stands.
As specialist visitors and Drowning Prevention experts we take part in parallel discussions on current trends and discussing standards for the industry.
It has been a busy couple of months for us at Poolview Ltd as we forged ahead with a series of eight Poolview Safer Swimming System installations, which included two new build projects amongst the programme.
Now on to the next batch of installations that will take us through to Christmas
Our Poolview System continues to support lifeguards by providing "Additional Essential Vision"
We were fortunate enough to spend a few hours filming in a 1.2metre constant depth 25 metre swimming pool courtesy of Places For People Leisure last week. We created a short video to help visualise how the main components of our Poolview Safer Swimmer System works together.
It demonstrates how invaluable this type of equipment is in supporting Lifeguards and assisting them with the early detection of incidents in the swimming pool BEFORE they become more serious. In this instance you will see a Shallow Water Blackout re-enactment and also a situation where an unconscious child is discovered.
You can also view a more detailed explanatory video of the system here entitled 'The Poolview Safer Swimmer System Part 1'.
Every once in a while we get an opportunity to discuss and present Poolview to clients NOT based in a Council Office, Leisure Centre or Head Office. This was one of those occassions!
High on the 32nd floor we got to present and interact with architects, planners, builders and leisure operaters who wanted to ensure that they had all the facts on "Drowning Prevention Technology", what was available and most importantly to be able to select the BEST and most appropriate solution for their new build pools.
A very worthwhile day and new relationships forged
