Candidate Manual 1st edition published 2014 by - RLSS UK River House, High Street, Broom Warwickshire B50 4HN Tel: 01789 773994 Fax: 01789 773995 Email: [email protected] www.rlss.org.uk Text copyright © by RLSS UK All rights reserved. This publication has been produced to facilitate the teaching of the RLSS UK awards programmes by RLSS UK qualified Instructors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. All enquiries regarding any extracts or re-use of any material in this book should be addressed to the publishers, RLSS UK. Acknowledgements Content RLSS UK would like to thank all people and organisations who contributed to the production of this manual: All volunteers who have contributed to this manual Warwick University Students RLSS UK National Development and Programmes Committee Jon Burt RLSS UK National Sport Committee Rob Sheard RLSS UK National Communications Committee Paul Moore MBE Timothy M Smalley, Minnesota Department of Natural Mat Belcher Resources Lee Spindler Barbara Byers, The Lifesaving Society (RLSS Canada) Warwick Lifesaving Club The ASA Westbury Sandwells Lifesaving Club British Waterways Bill Benyon The Environment Agency Trinity Saint David University West Midlands Fire Service Dr P Gates, Botanist Durham University Market Bosworth Water Trust The Oregonian Leicester Lifeguards Copyright © 2014 The Royal Life Saving Society UK Artwork, illustrations and photography © RLSS UK Published by RLSS UK Survive & Save Programme Contents Chapter 1 - Drowning Information Chapter 2 - Water Bodies and Sites: and Safety Messages 1 The Features, Hazards and Risks 15 Definition of Drowning 2 General Open Water Features and Hazards 16 • Beach Composition 16 Drowning Statistics 2 • Water Beds: Composition 16 Causes of Drowning and the • Water Beds: Depth 17 Drowning Prevention Model 4 • Silt, Mudflats and Quicksand 18 RLSS UK Water Safety Messages 5 • Banks and Freeboards 18 • SAFE Code 5 • Water Quality (Open Water) 19 • Beach Flags 5 • Deep and Cold Water 20 • Safety at Open Water Sites 6 • Ice 22 • Safety at Swimming Pools 8 • Water Speed and Water Force 22 • Safety around the Home 9 • Eddies 23 • Safety in and around Floods 10 • Cushion Waves 23 • Coasteering (and Tombstoning) 13 • Undercut Rocks 23 • Hydraulics 24 • Strainers 24 • Summary Table 25 Water Site Specific Features and Hazards 26 • Rivers and Estuaries 26 • Lakes and Reservoirs 28 • Canals 30 • Quarry Pools 32 • Sea, Coast and Beaches 33 • Flooding 40 • Swimming Pools 41 Chapter 3 - Emergency Management 43 Understanding the Lifesaver’s Internal Response to an Emergency Situation 44 The Emergency Action Model 44 • A Framework for Decision Making 44 • Using the Emergency Action Model 45 • The Emergency Action Model – An Example of Use 47 Writing an Emergency Report 48 Rescue Priorities 48 Taking Control 49 Making Emergency Calls 49 CONTENTS Contents • Reaching Rescue 72 Chapter 4 - - Rope Rescue 73 Self-Rescue and Survival Skills 51 • Wading Rescue 74 • Self-Rescue Techniques 52 Accompanied Rescue 75 • Tow with an Aid Rescue 76 • Mud, Sand and Quicksand Entrapment 52 • Support Tow 77 • Banks and Freeboards 52 • Extended Arm Tow 78 • Ice 53 • Clothing Tow 79 • River Currents 54 • Chin Tow 80 • Canal Lock 54 • Cross Chest Tow 81 • Longshore Currents (Lateral Drift Currents) 55 • Ice Rescue 82 • Rip Currents 55 - Shout and Signal Rescue (ice) 82 Survival Skills 56 - Throwing Rescue (ice) 82 - Reaching Rescue (ice) 82 • Survival Priorities 56 • Fall-in Entry 56 Defences and Escapes 83 • Floating 57 • Defensive Stand-Off Position 83 - Horizontal Float (Back Float) 57 • Defensive Reverse 83 - Angled Float 57 • Defensive Block 84 - Vertical Float (Standing Float) 58 • Defensive Releases 85 • Sculling 58 • HELP Position 59 Supporting the Casualty in the Water 86 • Huddle Position 59 • Turning an Unconscious Casualty 86 • Treading Water 60 • Without a Firm Support 87 - Eggbeater Leg Kick 60 • Against a Firm Support 87 • Removal of Clothing 61 • Signalling for Help 62 In Water Rescue Breathing 88 • Straight Approach 88 • Turn Approach 88 Chapter 5 - Lifesaving Rescue Skills 63 Surface Dives and Recovering the Casualty 89 • Extended Feet First Surface Dive 89 Casualty Recognition (and Simulation) 65 - Controlled Feet First Surface Dive (adaptation) 89 • Panicking Casualty 65 • Head First Surface Dive 89 • Non-Panicking Casualty 66 • Recovering a Casualty from the Water Bed 90 • Unconscious Casualty 67 • Searching for Submerged Casualties 90 • The Contact Zone 67 Multiple Rescues 92 Entering the Water 68 • Slide-in Entry 68 Separating Casualties that are Locked Together 92 • Straddle Entry 69 • Step-In Entry 69 Aquatic Spinal Injuries 93 • Compact Jump 70 • Basic Principles of Aquatic Spinal Injury Management 93 Lifesaving Rescue Techniques 70 • Head Splint 94 • Rescuer Safety 70 • Turning a Suspected Spinal Injury Casualty 94 • Shout and Signal Rescue 71 • Throwing Rescue 71 Landing the Casualty 95 CONTENTS • Basic Principles of Casualty Lifting 95 Chapter 7 - • Assisted Walk Out 95 Lifesaving Sport and Training Skills 115 • Pull Ashore 96 • Assisted Carry 96 Manikin Carry 116 • Assisted Lift 97 • Stirrup Lift 97 Speed Line Throw 119 • Horizontal Lift 98 Clearing an Obstacle 123 Rescue Aids 98 Chapter 8 - Life Support 125 Chapter 6 - Aftercare and First Aid 99 Casualty Assessment 126 Aftercare Following a Rescue 100 CPR Skills 127 • Chest Compressions 127 Introduction to First Aid 101 • Combine Chest Compression with Basic First Aid Techniques 102 Rescue Breaths (CPR) 127 • Wound Dressing 102 • Children and Infants 128 • Bandaging (Roller Bandages) 103 • Turning a casualty onto the back 128 • Arm Sling 104 • Recovery Position 129 • Action for Vomiting 129 Medical Conditions and Injuries 105 • Pulse Check 105 Choking 130 • Asthma 106 • Back slaps 130 • Diabetes 107 • Abdominal thrusts 130 • Epilepsy 107 • Infants 131 • Bleeding 108 • Loss of Consciousness 131 • Cuts and Grazes 108 Unconscious Breathing Casualty 132 • Shock 109 • Hypothermia 110 Lifesaving Adult, Child and • Hyperthermia: Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke 111 Infant Life Support 133 • Bone Fractures 112 • Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) 113 Glossary 135 Appendix 139 CONTENTS The Medallion lifesaving awards The Medallion lifesaving awards The RLSS UK Survive & Save Programme is a series of awards that challenge and develop your skills and knowledge in aquatic survival, rescue, sport, and fitness. This manual contains all of the skills and information that you will need to complete the Medallion Lifesaving Awards. The Medallion Lifesaving Awards will challenge your skills and knowledge in all areas of survival, rescue, and fitness, because these pool based awards include elements of the Beach, Stillwater, and Sport awards. This ensures that by the time you have completed the Gold Medallion, you will have been comprehensively trained in lifesaving. If you want to take the challenge further, you can step out of the pool and into the sea or lakes by taking the Beach or Stillwater Lifesaving Awards. Or you can challenge your skills against the clock, and learn a range of lifesaving sport skills, by taking the Sport Lifesaving Awards. There are bronze, silver and gold levels to all of the awards, and if you complete three gold level awards within 24 months you will be awarded the Distinction Award, which is the highest lifesaving award available. The Medallion lifesaving awards 8 CONTENTSDROWNINGdrowning INFORMATION inforMaTion AND and SAFETY safeTY MESSAGES Messages Chapter 1 Drowning Information and Safety Messages Introduction Contents This chapter identifies some of the factors that cause Definition of Drowning 2 drowning incidents and outlines the Society’s water safety messages. Drowning Statistics 2 Fully understanding the factors involved in drowning Causes of Drowning and the incidents and the steps that can be taken to prevent Drowning Prevention Model 4 drownings are the foundation to becoming a RLSS UK Water Safety Messages 5 qualified lifesaver. • SAFE Code 5 • Beach Flags 5 • Safety at Open Water Sites 6 • Safety at Swimming Pools 8 • Safety around the Home 9 • Safety in and around Floods 10 • Coasteering (and Tombstoning) 13 DROWNING INFORMATION AND SAFETYCONTENTS MESSAGES 1 Drowning Information and Safety Messages Definition of Drowning The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) defines drowning as: ‘The process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid’ There are also three defined outcomes of drowning, these are: • Death • Morbidity (injury) • No morbidity (no injury) Once the drowning process has begun, with the submersion/immersion of the casualty’s airway, an intervention must be made to prevent the drowning resulting in death. Personal survival, self-rescue and rescue are interventions that can interrupt the drowning process. However, it is important to note that even after the drowning process is successfully interrupted, the drowning may still result in short or long term injuries to the casualty. Water safety education and drowning prevention strategies can stop many drowning events occurring by enabling water users to take positive actions to safeguard themselves. It is only through preventing drowning events occurring that we can guarantee that no level of injury will be sustained by people in, on or near the water. Drowning Statistics UK