Annual Report 2021
Contents 1
Introduction to the Poolsafe Annual Report
2
Labour Force Overview
3-8
Labour Force - People
9-11
Awards
12-15
Qualifications
16-17
Patronage
18-19
Injuries & Incidents
20
WSNZ Incidents
21
Sector Strategy 2025
22-23
Incident Case Studies
24
Poolsafe Facilities
25-26
Poolsafe Assessors
27
Recommendations
28
Quality Pool
29
Retirement Villages
30
Constant Supervision Save Lives
31
COVID-19 Response
32
Research & Insights
Introduction Welcome to the 2021 Poolsafe Annual Report This annual publication will provide a broad snapshot of the overall public pools industry in Aotearoa. The report provides an opportunity to publish key industry updates, research, major projects and to acknowledge achievements across the industry. The information and data collected to contribute to this report has been provided by Poolsafe facilities, Skills Active and industry stakeholders.
Tracey Prince-Puketapu
Aquatics Programme Manager
Labour Force The New Zealand Register of Recreation Professionals is an independent public register which recognises the qualifications and experience of sport and recreation professionals in New Zealand. As at August 2021 the following numbers were registered.
3311
Lifeguards
700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
797
Swim Teachers
95
Assessors
Labour Force Korowai Te Huia - Lifeguard
Region: Kāpiti Coast Facility: Coastlands Aquatic Centre How long have you been working as a lifeguard? 3 years. What’s one thing about being a lifeguard that you didn’t know before but know now? How community focused the job is. What do you love the most about working as a lifeguard? Giving back to the community and customers and being a source of enjoyment. What do you find challenging about the job? How one day is never the same so I'm always thinking on my feet. How has being a lifeguard influenced your decisions and attitudes? I’m always promoting water safety to friends and family and first aid as well. One highlight of being a lifeguard in the last year? Getting to be a part of Aquatics Aotearoa’s social sphere.
Labour Force Luisa Denton– Lifeguard Assessor
Region: Auckland Facility: Massey Park Pool What is your history in the Aquatics Sector? I have worked for CLM- Massey Park Pool for 19years. I started in 2002 as a swim school instructor then followed on to be a lifeguard, supervisor and now the Aquatics coordinator. I am a PLPC registered assessor and a SAM which is a great achievement for me as educating and training staff to meet their goals is my passion. When did you become a Lifeguard Assessor? I became a registered assessor when it was run by Sfrito which was a very long time ago, so I would guess I have been an assessor for 15 years. Why did you become a Lifeguard Assessor? I came from a competitive swimming back-ground and really enjoyed teaching. When I was instructing, I found a real passion for training and assessing, especially the youth. I felt the community I worked in didn’t really offer youth programmes back then so running lifeguard courses really taught me how to manage and teach in a way where they would understand and be able to achieve a qualification that the found quite hard to learn in a classroom environment. What do you enjoy the most about being an assessor? Being able to be that person that can help others achieve a goal whether it be big or small and provide employment opportunities. I also love having a diverse culture of individuals to teach and see how they like to learn. Would you recommend becoming an assessor and why? Yes, I would recommend as it gives accessibility while training and refreshing staff to have this qualification on site. If you are wanting to became an assessor, I think you need to have the qualities to be able to read people and situations and have good time management. This is due to not all people being “go getters” and taking time to build rapport. What’s been one highlight for you as an assessor in the last year? One highlight for me was getting many people through the qualification in my gateway programme . I had to adapt programs to our “new normal”, working from home and online.
Labour Force Gastón Vélez – Poolsafe Assessor Region: Horowhenua Facility: Levin Aquatic Centre What is your history in the Aquatics sector? My Aquatics career began overseas, in Argentina. In 2004 I began my lifeguard training and a few seasons later I arrived in New Zealand in 2008 under the Working Holiday scheme. I completed my New Zealand Pool Lifeguard qualification at Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa, and after a season back in Argentina, I returned to New Zealand in 2010, where I stayed until now. Since then, I worked for different council operated facilities in both the North and the South Island, and I worked my way up to the position I currently hold. When did you become a Poolsafe assessor and why? I became a Poolsafe Assessor in 2018. Among my reasons to become a Poolsafe Assessor was to assist different facilities to achieve industry standards, and to share my knowledge and experience about best industry practices and safe operations. It was also an opportunity to learn from the colleagues I could meet. I was interested in learning how they operated their facilities and what procedures they had in place. What do you enjoy the most about being an assessor? I enjoy the opportunity to visit facilities I have never been to before, and to network and meet incredible people. I enjoy taking Poolsafe with responsibility, it is a great way to communicate experiences and achieve consistency across the industry. Would you recommend becoming an assessor? I would recommend being a Poolsafe Assessor. It adds value to your career, and you help the industry at the same time. It gives you an opportunity to travel around the county, and it is a rewarding experience. What’s been one highlight for you as a Poolsafe assessor in the last year? The highlight as a Poolsafe Assessor last year was assessing the very first facility that employed me as a lifeguard in New Zealand. It had a significant meaning to me as I obtained my pool lifeguard qualification at this facility, and it was a place where I had one of my best work experiences. 12 years later, to come back as a Poolsafe Assessor made me reflect on how much I have progressed in my career and how much I have grown in a personal level. From being a backpacker on a working holiday to reaching a management role and being settled in New Zealand as a citizen, with a house and a young family. It has been an incredible journey. I was stoked to be able to return to this place that means so much to me and assist with their Poolsafe Accreditation. It was a unique and a very rewarding experience.
Labour Force Irene Smith – Facility Manager Region: Auckland Facility: Mt Albert Aquatic Centre History in the recreation sector: I have worked in the aquatics industry in some capacity for approx. 13 years and sport and recreation within the education sector for over 10 years. What have you learned as a facility manager? Knowledge is key. Find yourself a mentor and absorb as much as you can. I'm privileged to be able to have Mark Blake (GM) to guide me through my journey as a manager. The role of a manager can be demanding so having someone to bounce ideas off and seek advice is invaluable. What’s the best part about your job? Being able to interact with the public and see their fitness goals come to fruition. I also enjoy seeing those in our community who have a disability or suffer some type of adversity find enjoyment in being an active and valued member of our aquatic family. We are privileged at Mt Albert that we have staff that are bilingual or able to communicate in basic sign language. Removing barriers to participation is extremely important and isn't finding acceptance what everyone wants for themselves. What do you find the most challenging? Finding enough hours in the day. As much as I love people, they can also remain my largest challenge. Getting commitment from all staff , all of the time I’m sure is the biggest challenge for most managers. Whilst for the most part we have dedicated, passionate staff and for us to deliver I am relying on over 50 people to play their part. When they can’t hopefully somebody else fills the breach. I’m unsure how, but to date we always get those positions filled but it is always at the forefront of my mind. What is one project or idea that you’ve established that you’re really proud of in the last year? Over the last year we introduced to our staff the MHeLP online a mental health e-learning programme. Mental health, access and inclusion has been a big focus for our Centre and Belgravia Leisure NZ. We recognise that providing a platform for staff and their whānau to be educated, aware and able to look after their mental health is extremely important. What’s one tip for being a good manager? Listen and be an engaged manager. By listening and engaging with your team you quickly realise that you are surrounded by passionate and dedicated people who all seek to achieve exceptional results and outcomes for your facility and community.
Labour Force Linda Howes – Swim Teacher Region: Waikato Facility: Mairangi Swim School How long have you been a Swim Teacher? I began teaching swimming in 1992 as a student and have continued teaching since then. Swimming teaching is something I have always wanted to do and found time for in my life; throughout my university studies, when working full time, across two countries (NZ and England), and as a working mother. Why did you become a Swim Teacher? Swimming teaching and a love of the sport of swimming is in my blood. I competed and loved it. My mother, Margaret Howes, is a NZ Master Swim Teacher, former British Empire (Commonwealth) Games medalist in swimming. My parents opened the Mairangi Swim School when I was a young child, and I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by many awe-inspiring people, all with a passion for effective swim teaching. I continue to teach because I feel I have more to give and more to learn about being a better swimming teaching. What do you enjoy the most about being a Swim Teacher? Seeing a child's face light up with joy when they first discover the wonder of the aquatic environment. Watching brave and courageous children overcome their fears and anxiety around water to become confident explorers in and under the water. What do you find most challenging? It's always a challenge to help someone to overcome a fear of the water. Basically, our job as a swimming teacher is to help the swimmer feel safe and comfortable in an environment where they currently feel fearful and anxious. It is incredibly rewarding when you can help a swimmer to overcome fear and anxiety around the water. Would you recommend becoming a Swim Teacher and why? Yes, passing on knowledge to others on water safety and aquatic skills is rewarding. Every working day I get to feel 'warm fuzzies' as I know I've helped people to experience life more fully by unlocking the fun to be had in the water in a safer way. What’s been one highlight for you as a Swim Teacher in the last year? Hearing the success stories where I know that our programme is working. Several years' ago, as a two-year-old one of our swimmers fell into a pool at a family BBQ, he was being supervised by both parents, and the boy was able to rescue himself by swimming to the side and holding on before Dad could get to him. Unfortunately, the boy developed a fear of the water and refused to get in the pool. After 12 months, the family returned to lessons. Initially, he hid behind his mother's legs fearful of standing on the side of the pool, with a gentle approach and supportive teaching practices the boy entered the pool and rediscovered his love for the water. As a 4-year- old he can now confidently move through the water and roll onto his back for a breath, kick on his back, and dive under the water swimming 1-2m.
Labour Force Nerilee Murphy – Aqua Programme Instructor Region: Auckland Facility: West Wave Pools and Leisure Centre What is your history in the Aquatics sector? I am the lead coordinator for aquatics and land group fitness programs for West Wave. I also teach Hydrotherapy classes for West Wave which are rehabilitation classes working around balance, coordination, flexibility, stability and core work. How long have you been an Aquatics Fitness Instructor? That’s a good question. I have been in the fitness industry for 27 years now, I have been teaching for most of those years but have only been teaching aqua for about 7 years and absolutely love it. Why did you become an Aquatics Fitness Instructor? I started teaching aqua group fitness classes because I wanted to know what I was timetabling, I wanted to understand the programs and how the aqua programs helped people and what it involved for my aqua instructors. What do you enjoy the most about being an Aquatics Fitness Instructor? The people and connection, I have developed a great rapport with the people I teach, we have fun in the classes, we sing, get cheeky and generally have fun. It’s about celebrating the good things and being there for my people when they need an ear. In my hydrotherapy classes it is all about helping and being told that “I can now walk up my steps at home due to these rehabilitation classes” achievement and enjoyment for my people is what I like most about the aqua classes. And on a real personal note it’s my time to sing, perform, motivate and come to life because when I am in front on my classes I feel free. What do you find most challenging? Being able to timetable enough classes, being able to get instructors that will commit to classes. Personally, having time to work on my fitness, I teach so many classes and have been teaching for so long my body is ready to step aside and let someone younger take over, but I don’t want to leave my people. Would you recommend becoming an Aquatics Fitness Instructor and why? Yes, being an aqua instructor gives you the freedom to shine and develop classes that will help and motivate people to get into fitness and enjoy it. It’s not hard, it does not feel like work, and you meet so many amazing people. The qualifications are not extensive, and you can work and learn at the same time. What’s been one highlight for you as an Aquatics Fitness Instructor in the last year? Running a very successful two-day aqua workshop. We had some amazing people come through and the two days were filled with so much energy. It was an amazing experience to be able to qualify so many instructors in two days, it was epic.
Awards Lifeguard of the Year The Lifeguard of the Year Award recognises the success of an outstanding lifeguard who goes above and beyond within the New Zealand Aquatics Industry. No awards were given last year due to COVID-19, so we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight previous years winners . ____________________________________________________________________
2019 Michelle Tetzlaff – Queenstown Lakes District Council 2018 Victor Thompson – Belgravia Leisure 2017 Luisa Denton - CLM 2016 Samuel Kau – Auckland Council 2015 Donna Burr - Gore District Council 2014 Kristin Raynes – Upper Hutt City Council 2013 Teapanga Varu – Auckland Council 2012 Rachel Pike - CLM
Awards Lifeguard Team of the Year The National Pool Lifeguard Competition is held every year on the day before Waves. This is a chance for lifeguard teams from around the country to pit their knowledge and skills against others in the industry with the aim of being crowned the New Zealand Pool Lifeguard Team of the Year. The competition is held over 4 hours and teams are tested in a number of areas such as swimming fitness, rescue technique, communication skills, first aid knowledge, pool operations, team -work and leadership. 2019 CLM and Kāpiti Koastguards 2018 Community Leisure Management (CLM) 2017 Community Leisure Management 2016 Wellington 2015 Wellington 2014 Auckland 2013 Auckland 2012 Auckland
Awards Aquatic Innovation Awards 2019 – Drowning Prevention Auckland E-Learning Platform 2018 – Belgravia Leisure Access & Inclusion 2017 – Aqua Artists Chinese Swimming Lessons 2016 – Lido Hydroslides Partnership 2015 – Hanmer Springs Thermal Water Sustainability & Innovations 2014 – Rotorua Aquatic Centre – Visual Management
Qualifications New Zealand Certificate in Aquatics (Pool Lifeguard) Level 3 This qualification incorporates the Pool Lifeguard Skills Award (PLSA) and Pool Lifeguard Practising Certificate (PLPC). It is delivered and assessed on-the-job at the pool, and some assessments will also be completed online. This 40-credit qualification covers the following areas: • Aquatic supervision techniques • Aquatic rescue techniques • Supervising customers • Identifying and managing hazards and risks • Leading emergency responses. This qualification is designed to be completed in 8 months. Currently 80 lifeguards completed Level 3 in 2020/21.
Qualifications APPRENTICESHIP: New Zealand Certificate in Aquatics (Senior Pool Lifeguard) Level 4 This is a new qualification launched in 2019 . “The Senior Pool Lifeguard qualification provides trainees with the opportunity to collect naturally occurring evidence while working in their facilities. It is a validation of the complex role that senior leaders in the aquatics industry manage every day,” explains Linda Dorrington, Skills Active Industry Development Advisor. “To retain well trained and balanced senior staff, they need to be recognised not only with financial remuneration, but with the opportunity to gain an industry qualification.” This apprenticeship suits lifeguards who want advanced knowledge and experience in leading lifeguard shifts and teams in aquatic facility environments. This apprenticeship will be delivered on-the-job at the pool, and assessments will be completed online.
Coming out of this qualification, a senior pool lifeguard will have indepth lifeguarding skills, and be armed with the knowledge required to supervise, coordinate and educate pool staff. This 120-credit apprenticeship covers the following areas: • Coordinating pool lifeguard plans and adapting shifts • Applying advanced lifeguarding skills and aquatic supervision and rescue techniques • Supervising health and safety procedures, risk assessment plans and pool water quality checks • Responding to customer needs in an aquatic facility. This qualification is designed to be completed in 2 years. Currently 158 candidates signed up to Level 4 202/21.
Qualifications New Zealand Certificate in Aquatics (Swim & Water Safety Teacher) Level 3 This qualification schools swim teachers on how to deliver safe and effective swim education. Swim teachers love being in the water. They are passionate about people and have the enthusiasm and confidence to share their knowledge with others. This qualification is delivered and assessed on-the-job at the pool, and through external courses, which are delivered by national swimming organisations. Some assessments are also completed online. Coming out of this qualification, a swim teacher will be able to patiently and confidently deliver swim education to groups or individuals - no matter what their swimming ability is. Currently 136 have completed in 2020/21.
Qualifications APPRENTICESHIP: New Zealand Certificate in Aquatics (Specialised Swim & Water Safety Teacher) Level 4 This apprenticeship is for swim and water safety teachers who are keen to specialize in this area. Specialist swim teachers are inclusive, understanding, adaptable, and able to communicate with a wide range of people. This apprenticeship will be delivered on-the-job at the pool, online, and through external workshops. Assessments will be completed online. Coming out of this apprenticeship, you will have advanced industry knowledge and practical skills relevant to your two chosen strands. These strands are: • • • •
Early Childhood Swimmers Adult Swimmers Adaptive Aquatics Stroke Mechanics
This qualification is designed to be completed in 2 years. Currently 6 candidates have completed this qualifications with another 570 signed up to Level 4.
Patronage Each year we collect information from our Poolsafe members, detailing the total attendance at their facilities and the number of incident/accidents of various types including rescues. These are broken down into non-notifiable and notifiable. These figures are collated and give us an overall picture of how many people are using our Poolsafe facilities and the types of incidents and accidents which occur. This data is used to identify trends and to inform changes in policy and procedures which could reduce the rate of incidents. This data is also shared with Water Safety New Zealand to contribute to the overall national picture of water related incidents. The figures from this year (July 2019 – June 2020) show that aquatic facility attendance numbers increased to over 24 ½ million. The incident rate was lower when compared to last year, with one incident occurring for every 2765 visits, compared to the year previous with one incident for every 2498 visits.
Customers 3000000 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0
Accidents 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0
Incidents
The information on incidents is based on those that have been reported to Recreation Aotearoa from Poolsafe Facilities. In the 2020-21 year we had 2 fatal drownings and 5 non-fatal drownings of children under the age of 10 years. Parental/guardian supervision was a contributing factor in these incidents occurring. Other fatalities were linked to medical events, although facilities don’t always receive the cause of death at the time of reporting.
Type of Incident
Numbers
Fatality - Drowning
2
Fatality - Medical
3
Non Fatal - Drowning
5
Non Fatal - Medical
3
WSNZ Incidents
Water Safety NZ (WSNZ) Drowning Incident Data 2020 Preventable fatalities include recreational and non-recreational drowning deaths. They do not include those fatalities classified as ‘other’ (arising because of road or air vehicle accidents, homicide, suicide or of unknown origin) as these are not considered applicable to the prevention and rescue efforts of the water safety sector. In the 10-year period 2011-2020, there were 797 preventable drowning fatalities in New Zealand. Of these, 17 occurred in public pools (5 (29%) Hotel/Motel Pools, 1 (6%) Institution Pools, 7 (41%) Public Pools, 1 (6%) School Pools, 3 (18%) Thermal Pools) In 2020 (1 January – 31 December 2020), there 76 preventable drowning fatalities in New Zealand. Of these, 2 occurred in public pools (2 (100%) Public Pools). In the 10-year period 2011-2020 there were 1195 hospitalisations (requiring an overnight stay or longer) in New Zealand. 273 of these occurred in pools. In 2020, there were 133 hospitalisations (requiring an overnight stay or longer) in New Zealand. Of these, 27 occurred in pools. (Note, with hospitalisations, it’s a generic “pools” category. We can’t split it down any further into public/private) The facility data covers 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021
Sector Strategy 2025
The New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 Drowning is a preventable public health problem in Aotearoa New Zealand. Although overall rates have been trending down on a per capita basis over the last 20 years, our drowning toll remains stubbornly high. Each fatality comes with a social and economic cost, as well as a life cut short – often a young life. Many more can suffer a non-fatal drowning incident; often resulting in long-term consequences that leave families and communities devastated. The New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 commits sector partners to continue to work together towards common goals with greater impact and efficiency. This sector alignment will ensure maximum buy-in to the vision and mission of the water safety sector and will in turn support sector organisations to incorporate this strategy into their own plans. As the lead agency of the sector, Water Safety New Zealand will drive the strategy’s implementation, and report back. The sector will also stand accountable for its results. However, no one organisation can make the step change alone. This strategy is our collective response Sector Strategy 2025
Incident Case Study
Health and Safety Incident – High Chloramines Kristin Raynes, Assistant Manager, H20 Xtream What happened? A primary school group (130 children approximately) came for a fun swim on the way home from their camp, they joined a smaller group from a college of around 30 people and a mix of older customers in the facility. Staff opened the three hydro slides for the groups at 1.15pm, within a few minutes, children from the primary school group started experiencing eye irritation, respiratory discomfort and coughing at the base of the slides. Approximately 15 children were affected. One child was unable to stand, and two others required oxygen and Ventolin before being able to move out of the area. In total 11 children were taken to Hutt Hospital for observation. How it happened? The probable cause of the incident appears to be a build-up of chloramines in the slides. Chloramines can cause some pool users to have eye irritations and respiratory issues. However, there was not one specific factor that caused this build-up of chloramines but rather a combination of factors, high PH as recorded on the day, bather excretions, poor ventilation in the slide tower and the aeriation of water being supplied to the slides (all detailed below) • The leisure pool had a large school group using this body of water and this would naturally introduce a high amount of organic matter into the leisure pool and river ride areas. • The pools water tests that day showed a reading for PH of over 8.2ppm. High PH levels will decrease the effectiveness of Free Available Chlorine (FAC) for disinfection of the pool and will lower the FAC in the water which in turn can cause more chloramines. High PH will also cause eye irritation and respiratory issues. • Chloramines are also caused by aeration of the pool. The slides draw water from the rapid river which is then aerated again inside the slides, creating an environment where chloramines can rise up and be trapped inside the slides. This is especially the case with the black slide due to it being 66 metres long. The majority of it is also outside and painted black so it becomes far hotter internally on sunny days.
Incident Case Study Action taken by staff On being alerted to children suffering eye irritation and breathing difficulties the slide water was tested and found to have high FACs. Slides were then closed. First aid was administered by staff to those children affected. In one case oxygen was given. Ambulance was called and the manager instructed staff to take the affected children outside into fresh air. Fire services and paramedics arrived and took over from staff. Fire evacuated the building to check chlorine levels. Staff remained with ambulance staff and the casualties. Other staff members were tasked with water testing at regular intervals to ensure levels were stable. Changes made to operating procedures as a result of incident A full investigation was carried out using industry experts and a comprehensive report with recommendations was produced. The following are now being implemented: Plant and Equipment •Speed drive installed on the black slide, this will allow the water speed to be slowed down and in turn minimise aeration around and in the slide area •New PH probe purchased that can obtain a level above 8.2ppm. •CO2 supply was found to be unreliable as the tank kept freezing over, stopping CO2 from being dosed into the water. A heater system is also being installed on the tank to prevent freezing over, which will enable even flow and prevent a spike in PH. •Review of current dosing systems. •More fresh air supplied to the slide tower through grills and an extractor fan installed three quarters of the way up the tower to help with air movement in the slides and the tower area. A sensor has also been installed which sensors “dirty air”. There is no sensor that measures chloramines in the air. Procedures and Policies •Emergency response procedure created for Chloramine build up in the slides •Changed slide rules to one person in the black slide at a time, only exception is with an under 5, 5-7 years must have adult at the bottom as per the Under 8 policy. This is controlled with a stop/go light as well as the usual stationed lifeguard at the top of the slides. •Water is being tested every 2 hours directly from the slides, and the slides are turned on one hour before opening to allow for air changes in the slide area to happen •Comprehensive training to all staff around new procedures, rules etc. •3’s Campaign launched – Shower/Toilet, Swim, Snack. Encouraging people to shower and go toilet then swim then eat at the end of their session. The aim is to cut down on contaminants and faecal/vomit incidents.
Poolsafe Facilities 5 7 10/ / 11 / 10
11 7
6 7 5 9
10 7 10 5 9
9
7
10
Poolsafe Assessors Poolsafe assessors are volunteers drawn from across the industry and chosen for their experience, skills and competencies. They not only provide their knowledge to the facility’s that they visit but also through this process take back learning’s to their own organisations. The role of the assessor is to assess the operations of our Poolsafe pools annually to ensure that they are meeting the criteria as laid down in Poolsafe. The assessment involves a desktop assessment of a facilities operating procedures. Documentation, such as NOP, EAP, water tests, staff training, staff qualifications are closely scrutinized to ensure they meet the criteria. The assessors will then visit the facilities to observe them in operation and speak with staff about their roles and responsibilities. Where there are gaps in documentation or knowledge the Poolsafe assessor will make recommendations and work with the facility to ensure they can meet all the criteria required. Some of our current Poolsafe Assessors are:
Sarah Clarke, Centre Manager, Takapuna Pool & Leisure Centre Auckland
Nick Warwick, Aquatics Team Leader, Pioneer Recreation & Sports Centre, Christchurch
Dave McKenzie, Centre Manager, Riverside Pools & Nayland Pools, Nelson
Dot Legget, Aquatics Manager, Queenstown Lakes District Council
Gaston Velez, Operations Manager, Levin Aquatic Centre, Horowhenua
Keith Martin, Aquatic & Fitness Centre Manager, Toi-ohomai Instuitute of Technology, Tauranga
Poolsafe Assessors Kristin Raynes, Assistant Manager Operations, H2O Xtream,Upper Hutt
Matt Greenwood, Aquatic Facilites Manager, Waimakariri
Nick McConaghty, Operation Manager, Selwyn Aquatic Centre, Selwyn
Stephen Keatley, Strategic Assets & Projects Manager, Hutt City
Janine Laumua, Aquatics Operations Manager, Wellington
Darryl Hamilton, Aquatic and recreation Facilitiies Contract Manager, Auckland Council
Jocelyn Lee, Aquatic Education & Water Safety Advisor, Wellington
Andrew Smith, Facility Manager, Whakatane
Alex Calwell, Leisure Facilities Specialist, Auckland District Council
Cris Gepiga, Aquatics Manager, YMCA Auckland
Recommendations
What keeps coming up in Poolsafe inspections? Supervision Ratios Many facilities did not have supervision ratios included in their NOPS. This criteria was brought in in 2020. In order to determine their supervision ratios facilities will need to go through a risk assessment process and consider factors such as pool design, staffing numbers, activities, and their community. As a guide some facilities are using the ECE off site ratio. If facilities decide that they do not need to establish ratio’s this needs to be stated in their NOPs along with the rationale behind their decision.
Online Documentation More and more facilities are moving to online processes and documentation. This can mean facilities are not able to upload the required documentation on the Poolsafe IMS or that hard copies are not available for the Poolsafe assessor on site. Poolsafe assessors require evidence to be provided and this can be as simple as showing them onsite the online files. This is acceptable under Poolsafe therefore someone needs to be available at the time of the visit to allow the assessor access to view any online processes or documentation. In addition, if documents such as NOPS, EAPS and PRMPs are being kept online the lifeguards need to be aware of how they can access them. Evidence of this also needs to be provided. As a facility you will need to consider how staff sign that they have attended and understood regular training sessions if this is reported online.
Incident Reporting Under the terms and conditions of Poolsafe facilities there is a requirement to report notifiable incidents to the Recreation Aotearoa Aquatics Programme Manager within 24 hours. This should then be followed by a copy of the incident report as and when it is produced. These reports are kept on file and the information is used to identify trends or gaps and inform changes to the Poolsafe criteria if required. Outcomes of incidents and changes made to operating procedures are also shared with industry. An annual incident review is sent out every year for facilities to complete. Once collated this information gives us a picture of the amount of people using our facilities and the numbers and types of incidents occurring. These figures are also shared with WSNZ.
Quality Pool
Quality Pool was developed by Recreation Aotearoa in partnership with Water Safety New Zealand. Targeted at private swimming pools such as holiday parks, gyms, retirement villages, seasonal pools, hotels and motels, and schools, Quality Pool works as a self-review of an aquatic environment. Benchmarking against specific standards the programme is conducted via a user-friendly online system – gone are the days of paper filing and manila folders. The standards encompass risk assessment and management, pool water quality, supervision, emergency procedures, signage, and health and safety. The programme allows operators to review their pool or pools through one simple assessment system. Currently there are 16 accredited Quality Pools in NZ, including school pools, Council paddling pools and retirement village pools.
Retirement Villages Retirement villages have been one of the key facilities that we are focusing on for Quality Pool. Amy Waller, Amotto Consultancy Ltd, has been working directly with a retirement village group to comply with the criteria and become Quality Pool accredited facilities. Initial conversations highlighted the villages concerns around compliance of their pools across the portfolio. The interest in Quality Pool was that it would provide them with the confidence they required knowing their facilities were being operated to a benchmark and meeting criteria, which would be used by WorkSafe if there was to be an investigation. Consistency across their portfolio was (and still is) a target across their operations. Providing a consistently maintained facility from site to site. Ultimately, they are working towards achieving Quality Pool accreditation and having new staff coming on board has helped drive this forward. There were some challenges that they initially faced, included the following: • Water testing equipment – almost all sites had to upgrade their water testing kits to enable the required testing to be completed, as per NZS5826:2010. Most were using test strips or colour comparators. • Signage – safety signage was either not compliant or didn’t exist. Majority of sites now have signage displayed – which is consistent across the portfolio. • Water treatment certificates – not many had these. They are in the process of working with Sarah Cresswell, Wai Skills, around a tailored water treatment course for retirement villages, rather than a Microbiological water testing – approximately half the sites comply with these requirements, and this is a work in progress to get the rest of the sites completing these tests monthly. The above challenges are being worked through – some would be very close to complying with the above now – some are work in progress. It is promising that this group of retirement villages are close to becoming Quality Pool accredited. Their Lead of Health and Safety is very keen to bring all their sites up to a ‘gold star’ standard. The aim is to ensure they are meeting best practice and standards to provide safer aquatic environments for their residents and whānau.
Constant Supervision Saves Lives
No matter how you say it, constant supervision saves lives. That was the theme of our 2020 water safety video campaign.
Featuring pool facility staff, including lifeguards and pool managers, the campaign used different languages to communicate the importance and simplicity of the constant supervision message. Tracey Prince-Puketapu, Aquatics Programme Manager at Recreation Aotearoa said: "We asked pool staff across Aotearoa what they would say to parents and caregivers to keep their children safe around water, and this video is the result.“ "Constant supervision saves lives is the most important statement we can make - if you are constantly supervising your child, we will have zero drownings."
COVID 19 Response
As the COVID-19 pandemic broke and New Zealand went into lockdown, we positioned ourselves as the organisation for the recreation industry to come to for the latest news and updates. We built a mini website to collate this information in one location and developed a brand for all COVID-19 related communications.
11 Aquatic Coffee Chats with 358 Attendees
11 Webinars with 2716 Views
Level 2 Aquatic Facility Guidelines developed and facility posters
Research & Insights Research Wai Puna Model Wai Puna is a theory of Māori water safety developed by Dr Chanel Phillips (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi), co-director of Te Koronga Indigenous Science Research Themes. Information on the Wai Puna Model can be found here You can find a full copy of Dr Chanel Phillips PhD thesis here Female Drowning Research Despite accounting for 30 percent of all drownings worldwide research, interventions, and targeted campaigns into how and where females drown has received very little attention, Karen Richardson, Water Safety New Zealand’s Policy and Research Advisor, published this research. Staff Retention Research Gaston Velez, Operations Supervisor at Horowhenua DC and Poolsafe assessor, has shared his academic research with us. His paper focuses on recruitment and retention of permanent lifeguards.
Insights Working with a network of thought leaders in the sector, the Recreation Aotearoa Insights Team have a programme of publications in development. The following are the Insights relevant to the Aquatics Industry: • • • • • • •
Aquatic Facility Design in the 21st Century Retrofitting Facilities How’s Your Facility Performing? Youth and Wellbeing Invisible Disabilities Equity and Leisure Family Violence, Workplace Safety and Care
