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An amendment regulation to upgrade the existing statutory qualifications requirement of lifeguards in attendance at private swimming pools licensed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to Pool Lifeguard Award (PLA) was gazetted today (April 1).
A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said the Swimming Pools (Amendment) Regulation 2005 would seek to upgrade the qualifications of life-saving attendants from that of holding a bronze medallion to a PLA. It shall take effect on April 1, 2006 - one year from the date of gazettal.
At present, lifeguards employed in public swimming pools are valid PLA holders as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has been adopting the PLA qualification for lifeguards serving at public swimming pools since January 2003. On the other hand, not all of some 1,700 lifeguards serving private swimming pools are in possession of the PLA.
"To better protect swimmers at private swimming pools and to achieve consistency in the level of competency required for lifeguards working at public and private swimming pools, we consider it necessary for the upgrading," the spokesman said.
"We expect incumbent lifeguards serving at private swimming pools who are not valid PLA holders will acquire the qualification through undergoing the training and tests in the next 12 months.
"In fact, many countries have adopted life-saving qualifications equivalent to the PLA as the standard requirement for lifeguards serving at swimming pools," the spokesman said.
According to the current life-saving award system of the Hong Kong Life Saving Society, a bronze medallion holder is a person trained with basic life-saving skills who can perform rescue in a drowning incident whereas a PLA holder is a person trained with basic life-saving skills plus specific lifeguard skills with the ability also to assess environmental factors, use specific life-saving equipment and raise the water safety level to prevent accidents from happening.
To be qualified for a PLA, a candidate has to pass a swimming ability test and meet more stringent requirements than a bronze medallion holder in terms of rescue techniques involving the use of professional lifesaving equipment and training on preventive life-guarding.
The Swimming Pools (Amendment) Regulation 2005 will be tabled in the Legislative Council on April 6.
Ends/Friday, April 1, 2005
Issued at HKT 10:01
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