Improving safety with research

Asking difficult questions, challenging long-held practice, and using robust evidence to shape skills and knowledge are critical for drowning prevention, says Jo Talbot, Commercial Director, RLSS UK

We believe lifeguards deserve training grounded in evidence, operators deserve qualifications that reflect real-world conditions and the public deserves the safest possible environments

In a sector responsible for public safety, tradition is not enough. Practices that have long been accepted as standard must still stand up to scrutiny and demonstrate that they remain effective, justified, and fit for today’s challenges. Recognising this need for scrutiny, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) and the University of Chichester have worked together for more than ten years to challenge long-established water safety practices using robust, real-world evidence. This partnership is built on shared values and a commitment to high-quality, sector-focused research to develop and evolve water safety training and education. The research team at Chichester have embedded themselves within RLSS UK’s training and qualification activity. Many of the academics have attended National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) courses themselves, some are RLSS UK trainers, while others have worked as lifeguards. That lived experience elevates the quality of the research, ensuring it is grounded in the operational realities of the lifeguard role.

WHY RESEARCH MATTERS

Building on these efforts over the years, this research has directly shaped lifeguard training and qualifications to support the sector and ultimately to save lives. One of the most significant and arguably pivotal changes was the evolution of lifeguard scanning and supervision.

For more than 35 years, lifeguards across the UK, Ireland and much of the world were trained using the ‘10:20 system of bather supervision’. This required lifeguards to scan their entire zone every 10 seconds for 10 seconds and reach any casualty in their zone of responsibility within 20 seconds.

The system was widely accepted and embedded in guidance, including references within Health and Safety Executive (HSE) documentation, Managing Safety in Swimming Pools – HSG179.

However, following serious incidents and investigations, questions emerged about whether the 10-second scanning expectation was realistic or even evidence-based.

CHALLENGING 35 YEARS OF PRACTICE

Dr Jenny Smith, research lead at the University of Chichester, questioned whether scanning an area of up to 250sq m and potentially 80 pool users every 10 seconds, was physiologically and cognitively possible.

In 2022, we began a study to determine whether lifeguards could actually meet the 10-second requirement. The findings were clear: lifeguards, even when instructed to, did not scan every 10 seconds for 10 seconds, either because they chose not to or because it was not possible.

For the brain to interpret what the eye sees, the eye must fixate. Fixations take time. The coordination between head movement, eye focus and cognitive processing cannot be compressed infinitely. The expectation of scanning an entire busy pool/zone within 10 seconds, repeatedly, was just not possible.

Policy

This was a pivotal moment. We had identified that a globally adopted system, one used for over three decades, was just not achievable in practice.

If a casualty is submerged or in difficulty, every second counts

INTRODUCING NATURAL SCAN: 20

Thanks to robust data, we were able to act confidently. In July 2023, RLSS UK created and introduced Natural Scan: 20 into its NPLQ. Instead of rigid 10-second cycles, Natural Scan: 20 requires lifeguards to continuously scan the pool and/or the zone they are responsible for. Pool operators must also ensure lifeguards can get to any area within their zone within 20 seconds.

Some ask why the 20-second benchmark remains. The answer is simple: survival. If a casualty is submerged or in difficulty, every second counts. Rapid recognition, swift rescue, extraction from the water and the early initiation of CPR and defibrillation dramatically improve survival outcomes. The 20-second reach requirement ensures lifeguards are positioned and deployed so a casualty has the best possible chance.

We presented the change to our customers and our network of more than 7,000 trainer assessors. Importantly, we also worked closely with the HSE, sharing the full research findings and evidence base. In 2024, the Health and Safety Executive amended Managing Safety in Swimming Pools – HSG179, removing references to 10:20 and incorporating Natural Scan: 20.

To see a method developed by RLSS UK, grounded in research, embedded in national guidance, is something of which we are exceptionally proud. Even more encouraging is seeing Natural: Scan 20 adopted beyond our own qualifications. But most importantly, it means swimming pool lifeguards are better equipped to do their job effectively and confidently.

A COMMITMENT TO EVIDENCE

Our future research programme is just as exciting. Working with the University of Chichester, we are currently progressing three major projects: ● Technology and supervision – exploring how innovation can enhance safety and support for staff. ● Public perception of water hazards – examining how people understand risk in outdoor environments such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs, with the aim of preventing future drownings. ● Water safety education and children – investigating the impact of water safety education on children’s safety in, on and around water.

Each project is rooted in the same principle: if we better understand behaviour, perception and human performance, we can design training and qualifications that save lives. We believe lifeguards deserve training grounded in evidence, operators deserve qualifications that reflect real-world conditions and the public deserves the safest possible environments.

A commitment to research means being prepared to discover that long-standing methods may not be optimal and having the courage to make the changes required. We’re proud of what we have achieved so far and are even more excited about what comes next, because we know that when research informs practice, lives are protected. ● To view or download the guidance, visit [https://www.rlss.org.uk/hsg179](https://www.rlss.org.uk/hsg179)

What is Natural Scan 20

The 1020 system of bather supervision (or 1020 protection standard, as known by its creator - Ellis & Associates), had been within the NPLQ for over 30 years RLSS UK wanted to examine its effectiveness and commissioned a research project to learn more

Due to the results of the research, RLSS UK has replaced the 1020 standard with the System for Supervising Swimming Pools (Natural Scan 20) within the NPLQ This means that lifeguards must continuously scan the zone they are responsible for, using their preferred scanning pattern tailored to the pool users, hazards, and risks

The pool operator element remains unchanged, and pool operators are still responsible for ensuring that where they position lifeguards, the lifeguards can get to any pool user in any area of their zone within 20 seconds

Warsop Health Hub

Warsop Health Hub – delivered by Alliance Leisure on behalf of Mansfield District Council – was developed to address long-standing health inequalities, inactivity and poor access to local leisure and wellbeing services in Warsop, North Nottinghamshire Before the Hub opened, limited access to facilities contributed to multiple preventable drownings

Since introducing the new pool and structured swimming programme, the percentage of children able to swim 25 m has risen from 43% to 76% In just the first two months, over 4,000 children and spectators attended lessons, and 172 non- swimmers accessed intensive confidence-building courses Five local primary schools now walk to weekly sessions, reducing transport costs by 40% and enabling 300 children to join regular lessons