Disorderly behaviour management in swimming pools

GUIDANCE

What is disorderly behaviour? 

Behaviour that is violent, obscene, causes fear of violence, or results in property damage can be said to be disorderly. 

How might it impact the health and safety of persons? 

Disorderly behaviour can result in physical or psychological harm to the persons affected, their close personal relations, and witnesses. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one example of psychiatric harm resulting from a disorderly event. 

How might disorderly behaviour occur in a leisure centre environment? 

Disorderly behaviour may involve centre users and/or staff and arise from:

• Offensive behaviour or comments made to another. 
• Confronting a person involved in criminal activity (i.e. theft from lockers). 
• Asking persons to leave the pool.
• Refusing to issue a refund. 
• A person in psychological distress.
• Motor vehicle incidents in the car park. 
• Events are communicated to a person from outside the centre. 

How should the team respond to disorderly behaviour? 

The team should: 

• Minimise the risk of harm to yourself and others. 
• Seek to understand the cause of the disorderly behaviour. 
• Approach the person causing the disorderly behaviour with care and compassion. 
• Involve the person causing the disorderly behaviour in how to de-escalate the situation. 
• Restrict access to the area by other persons. 
• Always leave open an available exit for the person causing the disorder. 
• Call the relevant emergency services if required. 
• Complete an incident report form, post-incident debrief and implement any corrective action. 

Citation. Jacklin, D. 2021. Disorderly behaviour management in swimming pools. Water Incident Research Hub, 27 December.