Flat water safety and basic rescue

This course is aimed at:

Guides and Instructors working with clients, especially children, in shallow waters, in recreational waters and pools.

This is an introductory course to water safety and rescue principles and a prerequisite for the SAQA accredited course: Swift water rescue

This course aim and objectives are to help Guides and Instructors to:

• Choose safe swimming and play conditions for recreation in water related activities.
• Let guides and Instructors be adequately equipped to handle unsafe water related situations.
• Recognize hazardous conditions in order to minimize or mitigate risks.
• Be skilled in making efficient and effective shallow water rescues in swimming pools and small beaconed safe swimming areas in recreational waters (not greater than 200 sq/m and less than waist deep, AKA a safe swimming area)
• Assist in water related emergencies and evacuations.

This course is not:

• A life-guard course for open waters, either rivers dams or sea.
• Swift water rescue course

This course is a certification course developed from a combination of the following standards found in:

• SA standards found in CATHSSETA U/S 12123-Flat water paddling
• SA Standards for Risk assessments, Hazard management and Site Safety found in SAQA U/S 229994
• SA standards – CSIR Health & Safety Specifications
• New Zealand standards for Water safety guidelines for Unstructured Aquatic Activity
• New Zealand standards for Water Survival Challenge
• World Health Organization Guidelines for safe recreational water environments
• UK Standards-Balancing risks and benefits in the outdoors
• Europe Standards -The Health Risks of Bathing in Recreational Waters
• Best Practise and Standards found in the ROAG Academy water safety training manual
• American Research found in Honey Rock Camps Training manuals
• American Rescue- Principles-of-Rescue