Procedures for Use of the Tsbvi Natatorium and Related Aquatic Activities
Administrative Procedure
Student Instructional and Recreational Swimming
and Boating Activities and Use of the TSBVI Natatorium
Procedure For
Student Instructional and Recreational Swimming and Boating Activities
and Use of the TSBVI Natatorium
PURPOSE:To provide standard regulations for safe and effective student instructional and recreational swimming activities and use of the TSBVI Natatorium.
SCOPE:This procedure applies to all on-campus and off-campus student instructional and recreational swimming activities; and to staff use of the TSBVI Natatorium for recreational swimming activities. (See Procedure , for use of the Natatorium by groups outside of TSBVI.)
This procedure does not apply to student bathing activities.
RESPONSIBILITY:Any employee or outside group who utilizes the TSBVI Natatorium is responsible for knowledge of and compliance with the procedures and rules for safety as defined in this document.
The Staff Development Coordinator is responsible for maintaining records of staff training, their specific certifications, expiration dates, and for providing updated certification lists to the Recreation Supervisor, Residential Directors, and Principals. Staff will be responsible for providing evidence of certification to the staff development coordinator.
The Recreation Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that staff are properly trained in these procedures and understands the rules defined in this document. The Recreation Supervisor will also regularly monitor the Natatorium log entries. Discrepancies in the log record, or evidence of improper use of the Natatorium must be reported to administrative staff immediately.
The Superintendent of TSBVI is responsible for coordinating use of the Natatorium by outside groups and to ensure compliance with the TSBVI procedure.
Table of Contents
Definitions...... 3
I.Designation and Responsibility of Staff Lifeguards, WSI’s, CWS’s, BWS’s and Additional Staff. 3
A.Lifeguards...... 3
B.WSIs...... 4
C.CWS’s and BWS’s...... 4
D.Additional Non-Certified Staff...... 4
II.Student Eligibility for Participation in Water Activities...... 4
A.Parental Permission...... 4
B.Clearance from the TSBVI Health Center...... 5
C.Completion of Swimming Skills Test ...... 5
III.Types of Water Activities and Required Supervision for Each Activity...... 6
A.Instructional Swimming Classes at the TSBVI Natatorium...... 7
B.Recreational Open Swims at the TSBVI Natatorium...... 7
C.Dry Land Activities...... 7
D.Recreational Activities Involving Wading and Water Play...... 8
E.Recreational Activities at Swimming Facilities Outside of TSBVI...... 9
F.Activities at Waterparks...... 10
G.Recreational Swimming Activities in Open Waters, Lakes, Rivers, and
Other Types of Natural Bodies of Water (both guarded and not guarded)...... 10
H.Recreational Activities Involving Motorless Watercraft...... 11
I.Special Activities Such as Skiing and Windsurfing...... 12
J.Powercraft and Large Sailboats...... 12
IV.Use, Scheduling and Maintenance of the TSBVI Natatorium...... 13
A.Scheduling of the Natatorium...... 13
B.Rules for the Natatorium...... 13
C.Use of the TSBVI Natatorium by TSBVI Employees...... 15
D.Use of the TSBVI Natatorium by Outside Groups...... 15
E.Opening the TSBVI Natatorium...... 15
F.Closing the TSBVI Natatorium...... 16
G.Lifeguard Responsibilities...... 16
H.Pool Maintenance...... 16
V.Natatorium Rescue, Emergency Action Plans, First Aid...... 18
A.Victim Recognition ...... 18
B.Rescues...... 19
C.Natatorium Incident Notification Procedure...... 24
D.First Aid Review...... 25
E.HIV and Hepatitis B...... 26
F.Hepatitis B...... 26
Forms
Permission to Participate in Swimming Activities...... Exhibit 1
Student Swimming Skills Test...... Exhibit 2
Lifeguard Ratios...... Exhibit 3
Facilities Use Release...... Exhibit 4
Natatorium Pool Log...... Exhibit 5
Pool Chemical Log Daily Checklist...... Exhibit 6
Request for Student to Participate in Recreational Swimming and Swimming Instruction...Exhibit 7
Without Life Jacket and Assumption of Risk and Release
PROCEDURE:
Definitions:“Lifeguard” (LG) means a person with current lifeguard certification from the American Red Cross, or equivalent (Ellis & Associates, YMCA, National Safety Council, etc), with current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid.
“Water Safety Instructor” (WSI) means a person with current water safety instructor certification from the American Red Cross.
“Basic Water Rescue” (BWS) means a person with current certification in Basic Water Rescue.
“Community Water Safety” (CWS) means a person with current certification in Community Water Safety.
“Deep Water Swimmer” means a student who has 1) been given a swimming skills test by a TSBVI Lifeguard; 2) has displayed the ability to swim the distance of the width of the pool without stopping in the shallow end of the pool and, if successful, in the deep end of the pool; to reverse direction while swimming in the deep end and return to the side of the pool; to tread water and/or float for one minute in the deep end; and does not show fear of the water; and 3) is therefore allowed to go independently, without another person or flotation device, into water above the student’s head.
“Shallow Water Swimmer” means a student who has 1) been given a swimming skills test by a TSBVI Lifeguard; 2) has displayed the ability to enter and exit the water, move through the water without the aid of a staff member or a life jacket, walk five yards in chest-deep water maintaining balance; fully submerge face for three seconds; and 3) is therefore given permission to go independently, without another person or flotation device, into water up to four feet deep.
“Non-Swimmer” means a student who has been given a swimming skills test by a TSBVI Lifeguard but who has not displayed the skills necessary to be designated as a “shallow water swimmer”.
“Swimmer with Medical Restrictions” means a student who has any type of medical condition (including any medical condition accompanied by seizures) that, in any way, restricts the student’s participation in water activities.
Wading means walking in water 18 inches in depth or less.
I.Designation and Responsibility of Staff Lifeguards, WSI’s, CWS’s, BWS’s and Additional Staff. Prior to assuming any responsibility during an instructional or recreational swimming activity, each staff member who is assigned any responsibility for supervising the activity must review and/or receive information related to the swimming level and medical restrictions of each student for whom they have responsibility.
Additionally, each staff member assigned any responsibility during any instructional or recreational swimming activity must not allow any student who is ill to participate in the activity. If there is a question whether a student’s current health status is affecting the student’s ability to participate (e.g.—suspicion of athlete’s foot, ear infection, etc.), the supervising staff should obtain clearance from the Health Center before allowing the student to participate.
A.Lifeguards.
1.Lifeguard Qualifications. All persons who are designated to serve as a Lifeguard for any TSBVI instructional or recreational swimming activity must have a current lifeguard certification and current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid. At any time deemed necessary, the TSBVI Recreation Supervisor may require that any person serving as Lifeguard for an instructional or recreational swim activity have a certain amount of prior experience as a Lifeguard.
2.Prohibition on Additional Responsibilities. At the time a Lifeguard is serving officially as the Lifeguard for a TSBVI instructional or recreational swim activity, the Lifeguard may never simultaneously be assigned any responsibility in addition to serving as the Lifeguard for the activity.
3.Lifeguard Responsibility. During any instructional or recreational activity, the designated Lifeguard(s) must remain on the pool deck or outside the body of water unless needed to respond to an emergency or situation of risk in the pool or body of water.
B.WSIs. All persons who are designated to serve as WSIs for any TSBVI instructional or recreational swimming activity must be properly certified. At any time the WSI is serving officially as the WSI for a TSBVI instructional of recreational swim activity, the WSI may not be assigned additional responsibilities.
C.CWS’s and BWS’s. In determining safe levels of supervision for a particular instructional or recreational activities, the Recreation Supervisor or person designated by the Recreation Supervisor (e.g.—Lifeguard) may determine that a certain number of staff certified as CWS and/or BWS are needed to supervise students during swim activities. In this case, the CWS or BWS must hold the proper certification. The Recreation Supervisor or designee should determine and inform the CWS’s and BWS’s of their responsibilities for the swim activity. The responsibilities may include activities such as supervising students during restroom activities.
D.Additional Non-Certified Staff. The Recreation Supervisor or designee may also determine that a certain number of additional, non-certified staff are necessary during an instructional or recreational swim activity. In this case, the Recreation Supervisor or designee should inform the additional staff of their responsibilities (e.g.—participate in the activity in the water with certain students, tend to student dressing activities, etc.).
Staff working with non-toilet trained students are responsible for taking these students to the bathroom prior to swimming. (Repeated pool contamination's from any given student may result in that student being restricted from continued pool use until such time as a residential and/or instructional supervisor provides a written memo that the student is now toilet trained.)
II.Student Eligibility for Participation in Water Activities
A.Parental Permission.
1.Student Permission Form. Prior to participating in any instructional or recreational activity involving entering any type of body of water including but not limited to swimming pools, lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, and coastal waters, a student must have parental permission. (See Exhibit 1).
2.Distribution and Handling of Student Permission Form. The TSBVI “Permission for Instructional and Recreational Water Activities” form will be distributed by the Center for School Resources to parents of returning students, students entering TSBVI during a school year and to parents of students participating in summer school or any TSBVI program offering that may involve participation in instructional or recreational swimming. The forms will be returned to the Center for School Resources. The parental permission information on each student will be maintained by Center for School Resources and forwarded either by paper mail or electronically to the Recreation Supervisor and the Residential Director of the student’s program.
B.Clearance from the TSBVI Health Center.
1.Health Center Review of Student Medical Records. The Health Center Director shall ensure that the medical records of each student enrolled in TSBVI are reviewed to determine whether a student may participate in instructional and/or recreational swimming activities and, if so, whether the student is subject to any special restrictions related to instructional or recreational swimming. If sufficient information is not available to make this determination, additional information will be gathered.
2.Information on Swimmers with Medical Restrictions.
a.Compiling, Distributing and Updating Information about Students with Temporary or Permanent Medical Restrictions. The Health Center shall compile and send to the Recreation Supervisor and the Residential Directors information on any student with any temporary or permanent medical restriction that affects the student’s participation in instructional and/or recreational swimming activities. The information must be updated at any time the information changes or additional information needs to be added. The Recreation Supervisor shall ensure that the information is maintained in the TSBVI Natatorium and the Recreation Department Office and the Residential Directors.
b.Content of the Information. Regarding student’s with ongoing or permanent medical restrictions, the information shall indicate the student’s condition (e.g.—seizure disorder) and any precautions or restrictions (including the requirement for a life jacket) applicable to the student during instructional and recreational swimming activities.
For student’ with temporary conditions such as athlete’s foot, cold or ear infection, the information shall indicate the duration of any complete restriction from swimming activities and any other applicable precaution or restriction.
c.Life Jacket Requirement for Students with Seizure Disorders.
i.Requirement for Life Jacket. With the exception noted in section c, ii, immediately below, any student with any type of past or current seizure disorder is required to wear a life jacket at all times during all recreational and instructional swim activities except when the student is within immediate physical contact of a staff member whose only responsibility during the time that the student is not wearing a life jacket is to supervise the student.
ii.Exception to Requirement for Life Jacket. A student who has experienced at least one seizure is not required to wear a life jacket subject to the following conditions.
Either
1.1)the only seizure that a student has experiences is a febrile seizure (occurring in infancy as a result of a high fever)
or
1.2)the student has not experienced a seizure in more than three years;
and
2)The student is participating in either recreational swimming or swimming instruction under the supervision of one or more TSBVI staff members; and
3)The recreational swimming or swimming instruction is occurring in a swimming pool with lifeguards (i.e.—not in open water such as a lake); and
4)All TSBVI staff members assigned to supervise the activity are aware that the student has had at least one seizure in the student’s lifetime; and
5)The student is closely supervised by an assigned TSBVI staff member at all times the student is in the water. The staff member may be assigned other students to supervise but only one staff member is assigned to supervise the student; and
6)The parent and the student’s parent have given written permission for the student to participate in recreational swimming or swimming instruction without a life jacket. (See attached “Permission for Student to Participate in Recreational Swimming and Swimming Instruction Without Life Jacket”.)
C.Completion of Swimming Skills Test.
1.General Information about the Swimming Skills Test. Prior to participating in any instructional or recreational swimming activity, each student will be required to take a swimming skills test given by a TSBVI Lifeguard. The results of this test will be recorded on the “Student Swimming Skills Test” form (see Exhibit 2). The original form for each student will be maintained in the Recreation Department Office. A master list of the results of all student swim tests will be compiled and maintained at the Recreation Department Office and Natatorium.
The master list must be updated at any time any student’s swimming skills level changes (i.e.—the student demonstrates a higher or a lower level). All Lifeguards should be alert to possible changes in a student’s skill level. Until the master list is updated electronically and a new master list posted, the Lifeguard conducting the test may modify the master list by writing directly on the list the swimmer’s name, the level, the date the test was conducted; the Lifeguard must initial the modification to the list.
2.Administering the Swimming Skills Tests. The Recreation Supervisor will designate Lifeguards to be responsible for conducting student swimming skills tests and give directions for when and where the test for each student must be given. The Lifeguard administering the test will determine for each student whether the student is a deep-water swimmer, a shallow-water swimmer or a non-swimmer.
a.Deep Water Swimmer. In order for the Lifeguard administering the swimming skills test to designate the student as a deep-water swimmer, a student must:
i.Swim the distance of the width of the pool without stopping in the shallow end of the pool and, if successful, in the deep end of the pool;
ii.Demonstrate the ability to reverse direction while swimming in the deep end and return to the side of the pool;
iii.Tread water and/or float for one minute in the deep end; and
iv.Show no fear of the water.
b.Shallow Water Swimmer. In order for the Lifeguard administering the swimming skills test to designate the student as a shallow-water swimmer, a student must:
i.demonstrate the ability to enter and exit the water independently;
ii.walk five yards in chest-deep water maintaining balance; and
iii.fully submerge face for three seconds.
c.Non-Swimmer. Students who have participated in the swimming skills test but have not demonstrated the skills to be designated either as a deep-water swimmer or a shallow water swimmer shall be designated by the Lifeguard as a non-swimmer.
III.Types of Water Activities and Required Supervision for Each Activity. The Recreation Supervisor or a Lifeguard designated by the Recreation Supervisor is responsible for determining safe levels of supervision for each instructional or recreational swimming activity of the types described below. Unless otherwise specified by the Recreation Supervisor or a Lifeguard designated by the Recreation Supervisor, the requirements for activity supervision described below apply to the particular activity. (The requirements are also summarized in Exhibit 3, Lifeguard Ratios .)
In all situations, no student is ever to be left unsupervised in any pool or natural body of water including when the student is in a watercraft of any type. Additionally, in all situations, the persons assigned to supervise the activity must ensure that all medical restrictions and precautions are enforced.
The Recreation Supervisor or a Lifeguard designated by the Recreation Supervisor has full authority to designate any number of additional certified and non-certified staff necessary to conduct any particular instructional or recreational swimming activity. The Recreation Supervisor or designee will determine if additional certified or non-certified staff are necessary by considering the number, ages, and disabilities of students who will participate in the activity as well as the location of the activity. The determination of the Recreation Supervisor or designee in this situation is final and must be followed or the activity will not take place.
A.Instructional Swimming Classes at the TSBVI Natatorium. In coordination with the Principal and Residential Directors, as appropriate, the Recreation Supervisor is responsible for scheduling students to participate in instructional swimming classes. An instructional swimming class may have no more than 8 students.
Instructional Swimming Classes at the TSBVI Natatorium