APPENDIX 10Page 1

International Life Saving FederationSurf Lifeguard

INTERNATIONAL LIFE SAVING FEDERATIONWorld Water Safety
Gemeenteplein 26 – 3010 Leuven – Belgium
Tel: (32.16) 89.60.60 – E-mail: ils.hq@telenet.be - Web: www.ilsf.org

BEACH LIFEGUARDMINIMUM SKILL SETS AND COMPETENCIES
Training Requirement
A Beach Lifeguard (also called a Surf Lifeguard or Sea Lifeguard) is a person who will be regularly
assigned to protect life and provide safety cover in the sea, ocean or open water environment. The
operational environment places very specific demands on the skills and knowledge expected of acompetently trained lifeguard.
The following are the minimum skill sets and competencies endorsed by the International Life Saving
Federation for a Beach Lifeguard:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Demonstrate a level of fitness to meet the operational requirement.
Describe appropriate techniques for identifying potential casualties in the water.
Describe the basic principles of managing aquatic (surf) and beach related emergencies.
Demonstrate rescues with and without equipment.
Demonstrate appropriate casualty care for common beach related injuries or illnesses.

ILS recognizes that many of its Member Federations have standards that exceed the above
minimums, based on the conditions specific to their own countries.
ILS encourages the highest possible standards in lifeguarding, and merely provides the above asminimums. ILS encourages Member Federations to exceed these minimums.
The minimum skill sets, and competencies required of the International Life Saving Federation Beach
Lifeguard should be re-assessed on a regular and recurring basis, to ensure that he or she continues
to possess those minimums.
1.
Demonstrate a level of fitness to meet the operational requirement
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriai.
Perform water-based Candidates need to be
Requirement
Organisations need to develop a standard
fitness skills in a pool pre-tested in a safeor open water
environment to ensurethat will ensure that candidates canenvironment.
that they are safe todemonstrate a level of fitness that will keep
continue training in morethemselves safe for training and to perform tochallenging environments a benchmark that meets operationalsuch as a surf beach.
requirements.
Organisations may feel it
is appropriate to establish Guideline
separate criteria for
ILS has developed a policy relating tocommencing training andlifeguard fitness.
for final testing.
Minimum Standard

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International Life Saving Federation
Surf Lifeguard•ii.

Demonstrate a levelof fitness combinedwith applied
knowledge and skills
in an operational(surf or beach)environment.

Testing of candidates forbeach lifeguard
competencies should
include elements oftesting in the operationalenvironment.
This element should becarried out as if for arescue, showing urgency
and speed.

iii.

Demonstrate lift andcarry of casualty

Lifeguards will be required
to lift and carry a casualty
from the water to a
position of safety on thebeach

Swim 400m within 8 minutes

Requirement
Organisations need to develop standards
that will ensure candidates can perform
required skills in the operational environment.
Guideline
Demonstrate running, wading, porpoisingand swimming skills in a beach/surfenvironment.
Minimum Standard• Run-Swim-Run (Run 200 m, swim 200
m and run 200 m) within 8 minutes
Note: The Examiner in charge will have thediscretion to extend the time due to varying
environmental conditions, at all times
ensuring the safety of the candidates,
provided all candidates are informed prior tothe commencement of the assessment.
Requirement
Organisations need to develop standards
that will ensure candidates can perform
required skills in the operational environment.
Guideline
Demonstrate a lift and carry of casualty
taking due consideration of occupational
health and safety issues for both the casualty
and the rescuer.

iv

Demonstrate asurface dive andunderwater swim

Lifeguards need to beable to submerge to look
for and recover an
unconscious casualty

Minimum Standard• Demonstrate a lift and carry by a lonerescuer• Demonstrate a lift and carry by multiple(i.e. 2) rescuers
Requirement
Organisations need to develop standards
that will ensure candidates can perform
required skills in the operational environment.
Guideline
Demonstrate an ability to surface dive andswim underwater.
Minimum Standard• Surface dive and swim underwater adistance of 10 metres.
• Explain and demonstrate simulated
search patterns in pool or beachsettingInternational Life Saving FederationSurf Lifeguard

APPENDIX 10Page 3

2. Describe appropriate techniques for identifying potential casualties in the water
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriai.
Describe theLifeguards need to beRequirement
characteristics ofable to identify at risk
Lifeguards need to be able to identify
casualties in distress. individuals and describe
casualties in order to provide an appropriate
visual clues to identify aresponse.
casualty indistress/drowning.
Guideline
Describe the characteristics of casualties indistress.

ii.

Describe surveillancemethodology.

Lifeguards need todemonstrate anunderstanding of issues
related to maintaining
effective surveillance ofassigned areas ofresponsibility

Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate theory
assessment
Requirement
Organisations need to develop standards thatwill ensure candidates can perform required
skills in the operational environment.
Guideline
Describe surveillance methodology.
Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate theory
assessment

3.
Describe the basic principles of managing aquatic (surf) and beach related emergencies
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriai.
Identify and describe Lifeguards should have aRequirement
the operational
preparation phase whereLifeguards should be aware of the resources
environment, related they inform themselves of available to them as support and how torisks and local
the potential resources
access those resources.
resources
available in anemergency.
Guideline
ISO-31000 and the ILS Risk Assessment
Guidelines provide a methodology as to theinformation required to inform thepreparedness of a lifeguard operationii.

Operational
communications
within a lifeguard
team.

Lifeguards should beaware of the need tocommunicate relevant
operational information
within the lifeguard teamto ensure a coordinatedresponse and relay
safety critical information
during a rescue.

Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate theory
assessment
Requirement
Lifeguards should be aware of theimportance of communication when
responding to aquatic emergencies.
Guideline
Demonstrate ILS approved hand signals
Minimum Standard
Achieve 100% in appropriate scenario or
theory assessments.

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Surf Lifeguard

APPENDIX 10Page 43.
Describe the basic principles of managing aquatic (surf) and beach related emergencies
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriaiii. Communicate safety
Lifeguards should beRequirement
information to theaware of the need toLifeguards should be aware of the resourcespublic.
communicate relevant
available to educate the public and of theimportance of preventative responses.
safety information to thepublic both pre-arrivaland on beach to prevent
Guideline
emergencies.
ISO 20712 Parts 1,2 and 3 provide safety
messages appropriate to a range ofenvironments and activities.

iv.

Demonstrate
principles of dynamic
risk assessment andmanaging
emergencies.

Lifeguard will be facedwith a range of potential
hazards andemergencies, not all ofwhich can be covered intraining. It is therefore
important for thelifeguard to understandthe basic principles ofapplying their skills andknowledge to emergent
situations.

Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate scenario ortheory assessments.
Requirement
Lifeguards should be familiar with theprinciples of dynamic risk assessment andmanaging emergencies.
Guideline
ISO-31000 and the ILS Risk Assessment
Guidelines provide a methodology that alifeguard will be required to apply using skills
and knowledge to develop and implement
strategies to manage emergencies.
•Identify hazards•Evaluate risk•
Treat the risk
1. Identify and select strategies forwater rescues and emergencies.
2. Identify and solve potential problems
for putting plans into place.
3. Design a basic emergency
management plan.
4. Practice emergency action plan.
5. Review and modify emergency
management plan.
Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate scenario or
theory assessment.

4.
Demonstrate rescues with and without equipment
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriai. Demonstrate rescues Candidates should
Requirementwith equipment
demonstrate competency
Organisations need to develop standards
on equipment that theythat will ensure candidates can perform
would be expected to use required skills in the operational environment
operationally.
and utilise equipment relevant to theorganisations operations.
Guideline
ILS organisations utilise a range ofequipment types. Skills should be assessedin the operational environment.

APPENDIX 10
Page 5International Life Saving Federation
Surf Lifeguardii.

Demonstrate rescues
without equipment

While it is recommended
that equipment shouldalways be used for
rescues it is recognisedthat lifeguards may
become separated fromtheir equipment or
encounter rescue
situations whenequipment is not available

Minimum Standard• Perform rescue of conscious casualty• Perform rescue of unconscious
casualty
Requirement
Lifeguards should be familiar with casualty
assessment, approaches and support/tows.
Consideration should also be given toteaching escapes and releases.
Guideline
Skills should be assessed in the operationalenvironment.
Minimum Standard• Demonstrate a safe approach and an
escape or release• Perform rescue of conscious casualty• Perform rescue of unconscious
casualty

5.
Demonstrate appropriate casualty care for common beach related injuries or illnesses
Competency/Outcome
Rationale
Assessment Criteriai. Demonstrate Basic
Lifeguards must have theRequirement
Life Support (BLS)
skills necessary to provide Lifeguards should be able to provide BLS tocasualty care to athe drowning victim, including recognition ofdrowning victim.
an emergency, ability to call for help,
competence in chest compressions and inrescue breathing.
Guideline
ILCOR or equivalent.

ii.

Demonstratecasualty care (firstaid)

Lifeguards should
demonstrate competency
to manage casualties witha range of illnesses andinjuries common in an
aquatic (beach/surf)
environment.

Minimum Standard
Demonstrate BLS
Requirement
Lifeguards need to be able to identify andperform first aid techniques for managing
injury and emergency including:•Casualty management•
Identify and managing injuries (i.e.
shock, fractures, arterial and venal
bleeding, spinal injury etc.)•
Use of appropriate rescue and first aidequipment.
•Documenting as per organisational
requirements
Guideline
In accordance with national guidelines
Minimum Standard
Achieve 75% in appropriate scenario ortheory assessment.

International Life Saving Federation
Surf LifeguardAPPENDIX 10
Page 6

Range of Variables
There are several variables that will affect the performance and assessment of the learning outcomes.
These may include:••Facilities
Facilities and use of varying open water aquatic locations. Conditions of the venue. Identificationof equipment that is available for use at that location.
Dress
Candidates should wear appropriate clothing.

Regulation approved by the ILS Board of Directors in 2013.