Guidance: What should be covered in a Normal Operating Procedure?

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This content guide is to support swimming pool safety professionals working in the leisure environment to design, write and evaluate the content of their site's Normal Operating Procedure (NOP).

Content guide for your NOP

Pool plan

• Dimensions and depths
• Features and equipment
• A plan of the building
• Signage

Alarm systems

• Types of alarm systems in use
• Alarm recognition, activation and silencing

Potential risk factors

• Key hazards
• User groups are especially at risk
• Hazard reporting

Pool admission controls

• Admissions policy
• Use of access gates and other secondary access controls
• Supervisor to pool user ratios
• Maximum occupancy for the swimming pool
• Maximum occupancy for the session

Dealing with the public

• Overview of measures in place to inform non-employees of the key hazards in and around the pool environment 
• Pool rules
• Customer care
• Access control and the admissions policy
• Supervisor standards of supervision
• Photography, filming, use of electronic devices, and e-cigarette policy

Pool supervision

• Who is competent to provide constant poolside supervision 
• Number of lifeguards required
• Competency required by poolside supervisors
• Supervisor zones of responsibility
• Initial and refresher training for poolside supervisors
• Supervisor uniform and equipment
• Pool security
• Safety cover during changeovers 
• Supervisor rotations
• Teacher and pupil ratios
• Summoning assistance
• Maximum poolside working time
• Authority to open and close the pool

Cleaning and equipment setup, use, and maintenance

• Cleaning, inspection and maintenance schedule
• Pre-use and post-use equipment checks

NB. The management of pool water is typically considered in the Pool Technical Operation Procedure (PTOP). We have placed it outside the scope of NOP as we have defined it.  

Provision of first aid

• Who can provide first aid
• Provision and maintenance of first aid equipment
• Summoning emergency assistance from external organisations
• Accident, incident, near miss analysis, reporting and evaluation
• A minimum number of first aiders

NB. Emergency and contingency events are considered in full within our content guide on the Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

Use of the pool by third parties

• Types of third parties
• Shared use of the pool by third parties

References

HSG179:2018. Health and safety in swimming pools (HSE, 4th edition). 

EN 15288-2:2018. Swimming pools for public use. Part 2 safety requirements for operation.

PAS 81:2011. Specification for the management of a swimming school. 

Citation: Jacklin, D. 2021. What should be covered in a Normal Operating Procedure? Water Incident Research Hub, 20 February.