INTERNATIONAL LIFE SAVING FEDERATIONWorld Water Safety

GUIDELINESfor
WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMINGCERTIFICATIONS

Version May 2018

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International Life Saving FederationWater Safety Certification Guidelines

World Water Safety

GUIDELINESfor
WATER SAFETY AND SWIMMINGCERTIFICATIONS

1.

INTRODUCTION
The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) approved the International Water Safety andSwimming Education Guidelines as given below.
The ILS has identified a set of water safety and swimming education guidelines, which it hasestablished as an international education standards framework. This framework is essentially alearn to swim and water safety programme formatted with achievement levels. Each level
requires mastery of the ILS specified core knowledge and skill competencies.
The International Water Safety and Swimming Education Guidelines concept serves twopurposes:•First, it establishes an international set of criteria that can be used by member organisations
that have no or little own system for the teaching of swimming and water safety.
•Second, it gives a possibility to serve as an international standard or a reference, against
which existing learn to swim and water safety education systems can be endorsed asmeeting ILS water safety and swimming education standards framework, or not.
This document includes information on the ILS international learn to swim and water safety
standards framework. Interested persons are urged to carefully read all text and to follow theguidelines.
In this document, some of the following questions are answered:•
What is the application procedure?
•How can I obtain endorsement by ILS?
•
What should be basic contents of a Member Organisation’s Water Safety and Swimming
Education programme?
•What endorsement does ILS issue?
•What if a Member Organisation has no Water Safety and Swimming Education Guidelines
or System?
•
What is the validity of the ILS endorsement?

2.

STATEMENTS

International Life Saving Federation
Water Safety Certification Guidelines

3.

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2.1

The ILS water safety and swimming education standards framework simply provides aninternational benchmark of achievement, an indicator of potential performance level. It
can be used to help determine at which level to slot appropriately into the programme ofany member organisation.

2.2

The ILS standards framework can demonstrate successful completion of approved knowledge and skill objectives. However, every national organisation retains the right to test forother skills and knowledge, to re-test the skills and knowledge of a particular level, and torequest other training. The ILS standards framework is not intended to supersede existing
national Water Safety and Swimming Education Guidelines or systems.

2.3

The primary focus should be placed on the successful completion of knowledge and skill
objectives, and only a secondary focus be placed on the time needed to acquire theknowledge and skills at each level.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
3.1

I have in my country a Water Safety and Swimming Education system; how can I
obtain endorsement by ILS?
All Full Member Organisations that have existing National Water Safety and Swimming
Education Guidelines or Systems can apply for the ILS minimum standard. This meansthat the Member guidelines or system include the key components of the ILS International
Water Safety and Swimming Education Guidelines.
Hereunder we outline the steps that shall be followed.
Step 1.

The Member Organisation submits to the ILS Secretary General a written
request for endorsement. The written request must be accompanied by:
A completed copy of the ILS Endorsement Form (APPENDIX 1)
A copy of the content of the National Water Safety and Swimming
Education guidelines or system in English.
A copy of the reference book(s) or manual(s),A copy of any certificates or badges or similar for each level within
the system

Step 2.

The Secretary General reviews the application and asks for more information
if the files are not complete.

Step 3.

The Secretary General forwards the application to the Education Committee
Chair who will conduct a review before consulting with the Members of theCommittee. The Committee Chair will ask for more information if the files arenot complete.

Step 4.

The Education Committee (dis)approves the accreditation. If necessary, theEducation Committee can propose additional tests.

Step 5:The Education Committee Chair advises the Lifesaving Commission of thedecision of the Education Committee to grant or not grant accreditation.

Step 6.

The Secretary General informs the Member Organisation of the decision ofthe Rescue Commission. Members are also informed that they areendorsed, however if the Member Organisation's criteria change, ILS must
be advised and vice-versa.

Step 6.

The endorsement by ILS of the Member Organisation’s programme is added
to the General Endorsement Table kept in the ILS Headquarters in order tobe able to quickly handle the applications.

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Water Safety Certification Guidelines

3.2

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What should be basic contents of a Member Organisation’s Water Safety?
and Swimming Education programme?
The minimum ILS requirements for water safety and swimming education are given inAPPENDIX 2. Countries are invited to comply as precise as possible with theseguidelines.
Should there be significant variations to the Member Organisation’s programme
against the ILS Guidelines, the Member Organisation should provide supporting
rationale for these variations.

3.3

What endorsement is issued by ILS?
On receiving endorsement of the Member Organisations National Water Safety andSwimming Education Guidelines, System or Standards Framework, ILS will issue anEndorsement Certificate and a unique ILS Seal/Logo both of which can be used by theMember to promote ILS endorsement.

3.4

What if a Member Organisation has no Water Safety and Swimming education
programme?
In countries without any education programme or certification system, the ILS
International Water Safety and Swimming Education standards framework could beadopted as a recognised system. The Member Organisation is encouraged to fully
take over the ILS programme and to adapt it to local needs, if necessary.

3.5

What is the validity of the ILS endorsement?
ILS would be very pleased if the Member Organisations could do their utmost to ask totheir governmental institutions that they officially recognise the ILS International Water
Safety and Swimming Education standards framework. This can only be beneficial forall our lifesavers and for the spirit of "friendship through lifesaving" worldwide.

4.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS
The costs of the ILS Endorsement are currently fixed by the Board and can be obtained byrequest.