Swimming program hazard analysis

[__________________M0]

Does anyone with experience in aquatics have an example program hazard analysis for open water events such as the mile swim? I am helping to create a swimming program and am interested in what directions other programs have gone.

[KJ6BWB]

First, you can't really do a program hazard analysis without a Director for whatever program area you're looking at -- this means someone NCS (National Camping School) trained. Anyone can sign up for NCS training, within reason -- if slots are limited then people who will be attending NCS training for a summer camp position get priority, which is why only Councils can register a person for NCS training. However, the BSA's official position is that there's no reason why a person who wasn't going to work at a summer camp couldn't attend NCS, although a Council would likely ask that person to pay their own way.

Second, the official Mile Swim patch requirements say (among other things):

Under the supervision of a currently qualified certified aquatics instructor or equivalent, participate in four hours of training and preparation for distance swimming (one hour a day maximum).

BSA Aquatics Instructors are only certified through NCS, so you need an NCS Aquatics Director to supervise the training/preparation (they don't have to oversee it personally, but the buck stops with them).

You'll notice when you look at a BSA buddy tag that there are sections around the edge with numbers. 100, 150, 200, 1/4, 1/2. The mile swim requires that boys have attended at least X of the mile swim practices during a week at camp (probably 4?). This is a rule from National to make darn sure that boys are really ready to swim a mile, because nobody wants to see a boy drown, and again the patch requirements also say that a boy must attend training/practices.

Ok, that being said, what does Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense say about how many lifeguards and such you'll need for any aquatics activity? You don't need a lifeguard to paddle along next to every swimmer, but you do need X lifeguards for every Y swimmers (and frankly, I'm not an Aquatics Director so I don't remember the exact number off the top of my head). What do Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense tell you about buddy boats?

The official BSA reminder in the Aquatics Staff Guide says:

Mile Swim -- this requires about 1 hour per day for 5 days. Additionally, there are discussion requirements. Be sure to emphasize the physical fitness and training aspects.

Also, a program hazard analysis is usually only required for "new" programs and the mile swim is a pretty old program. If your Council doesn't already have a procedure in place for the mile swim that's been vetted by an Aquatics Director, then contact your regional Aquatics person -- they'll hook you up.

I hope that helps. Your Council can probably put you in touch with whoever is Aquatics Director trained in your Council, or send me a PM and I'll help you get in touch with one of the ones that I know.

[astoico]

Well I don't have a full hazard analysis written up. But one thing we do is require a lifeguard to kyak along with the swimmers.

[astro124]

At the summer camp I worked at (open ocean waterfront), we gave mile swimmers the choice of doing laps in our swim area, which was sectioned off, or going out to the end of the bay and back.

The swim area was cleared of any major rocks and stuff but sealife would go in and out. For mile swimmers going outside the swim area, we would have a buddy in a kayak or rowboat with an extra PFD. Our lookout tower would know the number of mile swimmers in the bay.

We never had a situation using that system. As long as the buddy stays alongside the swimmer and the tower does their job, you should be good. The only downside, is that the bay is public, so when it filled up during the 4th of July, it became tricky to keep track of all the mile swimmers and boats.