To prevent drowning incidents in French public swimming pools (PSP), bathing must be constantly supervised by qualified lifeguards. However, fatal drownings regularly occurs in supervised aquatic facilities, calling into question the efficacy of the supervision chain. The aim of this research is to fully assess the periods during which supervision is not carried out, or carried out in an inadequate manner. The observations made in 108 French PSP show that constant supervision, as stipulated by regulations, represents only half of the time. Over a total observation time of 54 hours, 147 periods during which the supervision system was degraded for 3 min or more were noticed. In the worst-case scenario, this possesses a significant problem in terms of survival probability without sequelae.
Regarding risks associated with activities of daily living, recreational activities tend to be major sources of domestic risks in France. We focused on fatal drownings in public swimming pools, intending to quantify them. We conducted an exhaustive overview of information sources that counted the number of fatal drownings in French public swimming pools. Our results underscored the fact that in spite of using numerous databases, it was impossible to accurately quantify the total number of fatal drownings. Gaps in data collection originated as a result of five main methodological issues that are discussed in detail in this article. Shortcomings regarding fatal drowning data gathering and processing enabled us to provide recommandations to key French stakeholders. In particular, our findings emphasize the critical necessity to establish a permanent national repository and database of fatal drownings in public swimming pools by gathering of data at the local level by aquatic and public health staff.
Regarding risks associated with activities of daily living, recreational activities tend to be major sources of domestic risks in France. We focused on fatal drownings in public swimming pools, intending to quantify them. We conducted an exhaustive overview of information sources that counted the number of fatal drownings in French public swimming pools. Our results underscored the fact that in spite of using numerous databases, it was impossible to accurately quantify the total number of fatal drownings. Gaps in data collection originated as a result of five main methodological issues that are discussed in detail in this article. Shortcomings regarding fatal drowning data gathering and processing enabled us to provide recommandations to key French stakeholders. In particular, our findings emphasize the critical necessity to establish a permanent national repository and database of fatal drownings in public swimming pools by gathering of data at the local level by aquatic and public health staff.
In France, to prevent drowning accidents in public swimming pools (PSPs), bathing must be constantly supervised by qualified staff. However, fatal drowning regularly occurs in supervised aquatic facilities. A review of the literature shows that human supervision is a complex task. The aim of this research is to fully assess the periods during which supervision is not carried out, or carried out in an inadequate manner. The observations made in 108 French PSPs show that supervision is not carried out 18% of the time and that it is carried out inadequately 33% of the time. The medical literature shows that, in order to expect to survive without after-effects, an immersed victim requires intervention within a time limit of not more than three minutes; however, we noted, over a total observation time of 54 hours, 147 periods (29.8%) during which the supervision system was degraded for three minutes or more. This quantification research on the periods of degraded supervision is complemented by an identification of the causes leading to these degradations, from which we can draw interesting areas for improvement, particularly from an organizational point of view, in order to improve safety management in French PSPs.
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