FEHD continues to enhance guideline of life-saving attendants at personal pool to improve management and tracking requirements
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A spokesperson for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) stated today (April 27) that, to secure the security of swimming pool users, the department will continue to execute regulative procedures for life-saving attendants at personal pool this summer season, and will even more enhance associated management and tracking work.
Considering that May 2025, the FEHD has actually carried out a series of improvement procedures, consisting of stepping up surprise examinations, plainly stating the duty of licensees to validate the credentials of life-saving attendants, presenting a tiered charge system, and reinforcing partnership with pertinent organisations. In 2025, the department had actually carried out about 11 000 examinations of over 1 400 certified personal pool throughout the area, and had actually confirmed the credentials of more than 5 000 life-saving attendants through the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKCLSS). One case including thought usage of a deceitful life-saving attendant certificate was determined. The FEHD had actually reported the case to the Police and started 2 prosecutions versus the pool licensee worried for stopping working to supply an adequate variety of certified life-saving attendants throughout swimming pool opening hours on 2 events. In addition, the FEHD started 2 prosecutions versus the licensees of 2 other facilities for stopping working to supply an enough variety of certified life-saving attendants. The licensees worried in the above 4 cases were consequently founded guilty at the magistrate’s courts for contravening the Swimming Pools Regulation (Section 12 of Cap. 132CA).
The spokesperson worried, “Swimming pool licensees must strictly comply with the Regulation (Cap. 132CA) and the licensing conditions, ensuring that sufficient qualified life-saving attendants are on duty during the opening hours of the pool. The FEHD will continue to implement various regulatory measures, including stepping up surprise inspections and increasing the frequency of spot checks during the peak swimming season.”
Under the existing charge system, if a licensee is discovered two times within a year to have actually inadequate certified life-saving attendants on responsibility throughout the opening hours of the pool, the FEHD will think about suspending its licence for 6 months and need the licensee to report the circumstance to appropriate individuals such as the Owners’ Corporation. In case 3 infractions are tape-recorded within a year, the licence might be cancelled, and the licensee or associated individuals will not be enabled to look for a pool licence in regard of the exact same place within 12 months.
To guarantee that licensees satisfy their duties effectively, the FEHD will clearly need them through licensing conditions to confirm the identity files of life-saving attendants before work, and to keep copies of their Pool Lifeguard Awards and individual logbooks on correct record. The FEHD has actually likewise developed a basic design template of life-saving attendants’ task records. Licensees are needed to plainly tape the appropriate details of life-saving attendants on responsibility in accordance with the recommended format, and the records need to be validated and signed by both the checking personnel designated by the licensees and the life-saving attendants. FEHD officers will inspect the pertinent records as required throughout assessments or grievance examinations, and will act on any infractions.
In addition, the FEHD will continue to preserve close partnership with pertinent organisations and regulative bodies to improve compliance with the regulative steps. This consists of sustaining close intermediary with the HKCLSS and making great usage of its system for validating life-saving attendants’ certifications, and reinforcing co-operation with the Property Management Services Authority to need residential or commercial property management business to work out rigorous gatekeeping over the recruitment treatments of life-saving attendants.
The spokesperson stated that the FEHD will continue to examine the efficiency of the procedures and attracted members of the general public to help in tracking by reporting believed abnormalities to the department. The FEHD anticipates additional partnership with the trade to collectively support high requirements of swimming pool management and tracking, therefore efficiently securing the security of swimming pool users.