Everybody into the Pool? Not so fast!

Aquatic facilities and programs are the perfect opportunity for family fun and great exercise — and proper lifeguard training, best-practices maintenance and a risk management safety culture keep it that way.

“Aquatics require a focused effort by both managers and staff to ensure everyone’s safety,” explains Kyle Saros, PDRMA Risk Management Consultant. And to help everyone stay safe, we offer members a variety of resources to ensure safe water play at pools and beaches and diligent lifeguard monitoring.

• Aquatic Facility Preseason Checklist (981) — This list ensures you check all areas of the facility before the season begins including the manager's office; lifeguard stations; water quality; concessions; and mechanical rooms. Agencies with beaches should review our Beach Risk Management Guidelines (551).

• Aquatic Safety Handbook (507) — Learn how best to manage all aspects of aquatics including staff, patrons, special needs patrons, environmental issues and signage, as well as best practices to prevent sexual abuse during free-swim times and summer camp programs. 

• Aquatics Footwear Policy and Training Guide (1432) — You need your lifeguards to be ready to handle a variety of situations. So be sure they’re wearing the correct footwear to discourage horseplay or rescue a patron. Appropriate footwear prevents slips, trips and falls, and patron back-boarding injuries, which cause the majority of employee injuries at aquatics facilities.

• 2023 Lifeguard Vision Screening Request Form — Be sure to order your vision screening kits from Vizual Edge for the 2023 aquatic season! Your agency must complete the screenings within 30 days of opening day at your aquatic facility for reimbursement.

• Statement of Admissions — General (Video) — This short video looks at how you may wish to respond to a patron, reporter, lawyer or the press after your agency experiences an incident or accident.

• 3 Points of Contact — Aquatics (Video) — Employees can greatly reduce slips, trips and falls by using 3 points of contact when climbing and descending equipment. This animated video demonstrates this best practice in the aquatic setting.
• 3 Points of Contact Sign — Lifeguard Chair.
• 3 Points of Contact Decal — Lifeguard Chair.
• Preparation Guide to Completing Risk Management Review (RMR) Forms: Aquatics and Preparation Guide to Completing Risk Management Review (RMR) Forms: Beach.