Results from the UK Pool Safety Survey 2023

RESEARCH 

The UK Pool Survey 2023 was a research survey investigating lifeguard numbers, visibility assessment, and lifeguard activity in UK swimming pools. We received 88 responses, representing 3% of the UK pool estate. Three responses could not be used due to incomplete data. Data was collected in accordance with our privacy policy.

Data were analysed in Microsoft Excel and then published via this PowerBI dashboard. The results and dashboard are published below. 

Results

Visibility assessment

• 7% of operators had not completed a Lifeguard Zone Visibility Test, and 38% had not checked the visibility of their pool in the last six months.
• 62% of operators had not asked whether their lifeguards could see, despite 89% having completed a Lifeguard Zone Visibility Test.
• Those with fewer pools and smaller overall bather loads were less likely to have conducted an LZVT.
• Further research is needed to establish the level of training and competency of outcomes achieved by the largely site-based teams that complete LZVTs in the UK.

Lifeguard numbers

• 20% of pools over 300m² were not supervised by at least two lifeguards in accordance with HSG179:2018 requirements.
• 18% of pools under 300m2 had a minimum lifeguard provision of two or more lifeguards. There is a potential opportunity to reduce overheads by reducing lifeguard numbers to a single lifeguard if assistive lifeguard technology is adopted.
• A single lifeguard was considered capable of supervising pools up to 400m2 (which is the equivalent of a pool in excess of 33 metres by 12 metres). 

 Lifeguard ratios

• 29% of pools used a single lifeguard to supervise 30 pool users or fewer
• 6% of pools used a single pool lifeguard to supervise 60 pool users or fewer.
• Generally, a single lifeguard was deemed to be able to supervise 30 pool users or fewer more easily in a smaller pool than are larger one.

Lifeguard duties

• 51% of lifeguards conducted head counts whilst performing constant poolside supervision (CPS)
• 25% of lifeguards moved lane reports whilst performing CPS.
• 10% of lifeguards performed cleaning/tidying tasks whilst performing CPS.
• Smaller pools were more likely to permit lifeguards to clean/tidy whilst performing CPS.

Duty spells

• 75% of pools permitted lifeguards to spend a maximum of 60 minutes or less on the poolside.
• 95% of pools permitted lifeguards to spend a maximum of 90 minutes or less on the poolside.
• Smaller pools were the most likely to permit lifeguards to spend longer than 90 minutes on the poolside.

Citation. Jacklin, D. 2023. Results from the UK Pool Survey 2023. Water Incident Research Hub, 24 February.