Water Safety Initiatives for Pools
Royal Life Saving Society – Australia works to prevent drowning and facilitates healthy, active lifestyles by equipping all Australians with water safety skills. To achieve this, Royal Life Saving has implemented a number of water safety initiatives that target at-risk individuals.
The contributing factors that result in drowning include the absence of active supervision; the aquatic environment; type of activity; season and lack of skills in rescue, personal survival and emergency care.
Royal Life Saving acknowledges that water safety initiatives in Swim Schools and Aquatic Centres play a vital role in educating the community about the delights and dangers of water.
Keep Watch @ Public Pools 
In the past decade, 80 people have drowned at public swimming pools...25% of these people were under 5 years of age.
A lack of direct supervision by a parent or carer while the child was in the water has been the main factor in 70% of drowning deaths at public pools. This program targets parents and carers to help them understand their responsibility in active supervision at the pool, not to leave their children unattended or rely on pool lifeguards to babysit children.
To get your facility involved or for more information on the Keep Watch @ Public Pools initiative and the supporting resources that are available, please visit www.keepwatch.com.au.
Pool Lifesaving 
Royal Life Saving has an established sport participation pathway that provides regular opportunities for lifesavers from community level to elite. The sport of Pool Lifesaving tests a lifesaver’s skills in rescue, accident prevention and emergency care. The aim of Pool Lifesaving is to increase the awareness of lifesaving skills and encourage healthy participation in all communities.
Pool Lifesaving can be easily incorporated into existing Swim and Survive programs as an optional extension activity to challenge participants, broaden their water experience and encourage children to enjoy the water safely.
Pool Lifesaving also provides the opportunity for participants to participate in junior or modified events with pathways in place for participants to represent their club, state and country at State, National and International competitions in the future.
Contact your local Royal Life Saving Branch for more information on getting involved.
Bronze Rescue .gif)
Bronze Rescue is a lifesaving skills program which aims to build knowledge and skills in rescue, personal survival and emergency care. The most recognisable of these awards is the Bronze Medallion, which is viewed as the international benchmark for lifesavers.
The Bronze Rescue Awards include:
• Dry Rescue
• Wade Rescue
• Accompanied rescue
• Bronze Star
• Bronze Medallion
• Bronze Cross
To implement the Bronze Rescue strand, contact your local Royal Life Saving Branch.