Health & Safety

Swim Active Health and Safety Policy

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1. Policy Statement

Swim Active’s priority is to ensure that swimming lessons are safe, well managed and enjoyable for all participants.

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This policy sets out the arrangements Swim Active has in place to protect the health, safety and welfare of our Swimmers, Parents/Guardians, Teaching Staff and other persons who may be affected by our activities.

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Swim Active will, so far as is reasonably practicable:

• Provide and maintain safe systems of work for our swimming lessons and related activities.

• Identify hazards and assess the risks arising from our activities and implement appropriate control measures.

• Provide adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to our teachers.

• Ensure that teachers are competent to carry out the duties assigned to them.

• Provide appropriate arrangements for first aid and emergency situations.

• Provide and maintain safe equipment that is under Swim Active’s control.

• Consult with employees on matters affecting their Health and Safety, where applicable.

• Cooperate with the operators of the Leisure Facility and follow their relevant Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), Normal Operating Procedures (NOPs) and other safety requirements and procedures.

• Take reasonable steps to prevent accidents, injuries and work-related ill health.

• Maintain safe and healthy working conditions for our teachers.

• Record, investigate and learn from accidents, incidents and near misses where appropriate.

• Comply with applicable Health and Safety legislation and other relevant legal requirements.

• Review this policy and our Risk Assessments when necessary to ensure that they remain suitable and sufficient and reflect changes to our activities, premises, equipment, staffing or other relevant circumstances.

 

This policy will be communicated to all relevant Swim Active teachers and will be made available to workers as appropriate.

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2. Responsibility for Health and Safety

Overall responsibility for Health and Safety within Swim Active rests with the Owner/Director.

However, Health and Safety is a shared responsibility. All teachers and other workers must take reasonable care of their own Health and Safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Teachers must cooperate with Swim Active’s Health and Safety arrangements and follow reasonable instructions, training and procedures provided by Swim Active and the Leisure Facility.

Where Swim Active uses a Leisure Facility operated by another organisation, responsibilities may be shared between Swim Active and the Leisure Facility operator. Swim Active will cooperate with the Leisure Facility operator and will comply with relevant site-specific safety procedures.

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3. Responsibilities of Teachers

All Swim Active teachers are required to:

• Follow Swim Active’s Health and Safety procedures and relevant Risk Assessments.

• Follow the Emergency Action Plan (EAP), Normal Operating Procedures (NOPs) and other reasonable safety instructions issued by the Leisure Facility.

• Take reasonable care of their own Health and Safety and that of swimmers and other persons who may be affected by their work.

• Report hazards, defects, accidents, incidents, near misses and other Health and Safety concerns to the Owner/Director as soon as reasonably practicable.

• Stop or modify an activity where they reasonably believe there is a serious and immediate risk to health or safety and inform the appropriate responsible person.

• Use equipment safely and in accordance with training and instructions.

• Not intentionally or recklessly interfere with, misuse or remove anything provided for Health and Safety purposes.

• Ensure that they have the appropriate qualifications, competence and training for the duties they undertake.

• Follow relevant safeguarding procedures when working with children and vulnerable persons.

• Cooperate with investigations into accidents, incidents and near misses.

 

4. Parents and Guardians

Parents and Guardians remain responsible for the supervision and behaviour of their children when they are not participating in a swimming lesson, subject to the rules and arrangements of the Leisure Facility.

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Parents/Guardians must supervise their children in areas where Swim Active is not providing supervision, including waiting areas and changing facilities, unless alternative arrangements have been specifically agreed with the Leisure Facility or Swim Active.

This does not, however, remove Swim Active’s own legal responsibilities for Health and Safety or safeguarding in relation to its activities, employees and the services it provides.

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During a swimming lesson, the Swim Active teacher is responsible for supervising the swimmers participating in that lesson in accordance with the lesson arrangements, Risk Assessments, Leisure Facility procedures and the teacher's level of competence.

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Parents/Guardians must follow the Leisure Facility rules and any reasonable safety instructions given by Swim Active or the Leisure Facility operator.

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5. Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Swim Active will identify hazards associated with its activities and assess the risks to teachers, swimmers and other persons who may be affected.

Risk Assessments will be documented where required and appropriate control measures will be implemented.

Swim Active will take account of the Risk Assessments, EAPs, NOPs and other relevant safety arrangements of each Leisure Facility in which it operates.

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Where Swim Active shares a workplace with a pool operator or another organisation, relevant Health and Safety information will be exchanged and the parties will cooperate to manage risks appropriately.

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Risk Assessments will be reviewed when:

• there is reason to suspect that they are no longer valid;

• there is a significant change to the activity, premises, equipment, staffing or circumstances;

• an accident, incident or near miss identifies a potential weakness in existing controls; or

• new hazards or information are identified.

 

6. Leisure Facility, Plant and Equipment

Swim Active hires or uses Leisure Facility operated by third parties.

The pool plant, building infrastructure and fixed equipment will generally remain the responsibility of the Leisure Facility operator, subject to the terms of the relevant agreement.

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Swim Active will not use equipment that it knows or reasonably believes to be unsafe.

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Any defective or unsafe equipment under Swim Active's control will be removed from use where appropriate and reported to the responsible person.

Where a defect relates to pool plant, fixed equipment or another aspect of the Leisure Facility, Swim Active will report it promptly to the Leisure Facility operator and follow the Leisure Facility procedures.

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Swim Active will cooperate with the Leisure Facility operator regarding the safe operation of the premises and will comply with relevant Leisure Facility procedures.

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7. Competence, Qualifications and Training

Swim Active will ensure that teachers have the appropriate competence, qualifications and training for the duties they are required to undertake.

Teachers working for Swim Active may include appropriately qualified Level 1 Assistants and Level 2 Swimming Teachers, or persons holding equivalent recognised qualifications where appropriate to the role.

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Swim Active will identify additional training requirements where necessary and will provide or arrange appropriate training.

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Teachers must not undertake duties for which they are not appropriately trained, qualified or competent.

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Training and qualifications will be monitored and kept under review.

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8. First Aid and Emergency Arrangements

Swim Active will make appropriate first-aid arrangements based on the risks associated with its activities and the circumstances in which lessons are delivered.

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Swim Active operates within Leisure Facility, therefore, teachers must familiarise themselves with the Leisure Facility emergency procedures, including:

• the location of first-aid equipment;

• the location and availability of qualified first-aiders or other designated persons;

• emergency communication arrangements;

• emergency evacuation procedures;

• pool-rescue and alarm procedures; and

• the Leisure Facility Emergency Action Plan.

Where Swim Active employees are involved, first-aid arrangements will be reviewed as part of the organisation's workplace first-aid needs assessment.

 

9. Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses

All accidents, injuries and significant incidents involving Swim Active workers or arising in connection with Swim Active's activities must be reported to the Owner/Director as soon as reasonably practicable and recorded in accordance with Swim Active's procedures.

Relevant incidents involving swimmers, Parents/Guardians, Teachers or other persons should also be reported to the Leisure Facility in accordance with its procedures.

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Accident and incident records will be kept securely and handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.

Near misses should also be reported where they could provide information about a potential Health and Safety risk.

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Swim Active will investigate accidents and incidents where appropriate and will implement corrective or preventative measures where necessary.

Certain work-related injuries, cases of occupational ill health and dangerous occurrences are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Where an incident is reportable, Swim Active will ensure that the appropriate report is made to the relevant enforcing authority within the required timescale.

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The existence of an accident record does not, by itself, mean that an incident is reportable under RIDDOR.

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10. Work-Related Ill Health and Welfare

Swim Active recognises its responsibility to protect workers from work-related ill health as well as physical injury.

Relevant risks will be considered as part of the organisation's Risk Assessments and appropriate control measures will be implemented.

Teachers should report work-related health concerns to the Owner/Director as soon as reasonably practicable so that appropriate action can be considered.

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11. Consultation and Communication

Where Swim Active employs workers, it will consult with them on relevant Health and Safety matters in accordance with applicable legislation.

Teachers will be given appropriate information about:

• relevant Risk Assessments;

• Emergency arrangements;

• Leisure Facility procedures;

• Health and Safety responsibilities;

• Accident and Incident reporting arrangements; and

• any significant changes affecting their work.

 

12. Monitoring and Review

Health and Safety will be monitored as part of Swim Active's normal management arrangements.

The Owner/Director will review this policy at least annually and sooner where necessary, including following significant changes to the business, relevant legislation, an accident or incident, or identification of a significant new risk.

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Risk Assessments and procedures will be reviewed in accordance with the circumstances described in this policy.

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The objective of monitoring and review is to ensure that Swim Active's Health and Safety arrangements remain suitable, sufficient and effective.