Guidance: What should be covered in the Emergency Action Plan?

GUIDANCE

This content guide supports professionals working in the leisure environment to design, write and evaluate the content of their site Emergency Action Plan (EAP). For sample documents to support the construction of your own procedures, please see our free downloads section. 

What is an EAP? 

An EAP, Emergency Action Plan, is a document a swimming pool or open water site prepares to set out instructions to employees on how to manage emergency situations. It is set out typically as a mixture of policies, procedures, and work instructions. 

The guidance available on EAPs

• HSE. 2018. Health and safety in swimming pools. HSG179, 4th edition. Paragraph 29, 37-40, 262-269, 273-276, 278-279.
• EN 15288-2:2018. Swimming pools for public use. Part 2 safety requirements for operation. Clauses 7.8.1 - 7.8.5.8.
• PAS 520:2015. Safeguarding 0 to 4-year-old children within the teaching of swimming, including any associated professional photography. Code of Practice. 1st edition. Clause 8. 

Content of an EAP

Pool-specific action plans: 

• Evacuation due to: 
  • If the pool emergency alarm or fire alarm is activated.
  • Before, or in response, to an in-water rescue being initiated.
  • If water hygiene is compromised or potentially compromised by a contamination incident.
  • If 100% visibility of the swimming pool is lost in a session where constant poolside supervision is required.
  • If the behaviour of a swimmer becomes a serious danger to the health or safety of employees or others and early intervention has not de-escalated the situation.
  • To assist with the search of the pool for a missing person.
  • To manage or investigate a serious structural collapse in the pool area.
  • In response to serious, adverse weather which poses a serious danger to the health or safety of employees or others.
  • If the air quality in the swimming pool area poses a serious risk to health.
  • The number of pool users exceeds the maximum number permitted within a session, the pool or pool hall. 
• Overcrowding of the pool
  

Facility-wide action plans:

• Chemical spill.
• Civil emergency. 
• Disorderly behaviour
• Missing person.
• Needlestick injury.
• Passenger lift failure.
• Tackling small fires.
• Terrorism, bomb threat, or extreme violence.

Citation: Jacklin, D. 2022. What should be covered in the Emergency Action Plan? Water Incident Research Hub. Updated 3 September 2022.