FEHD continues to implement regulatory measures for life-saving attendants at private swimming pools
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (December 22) that, to safeguard swimming pool users, the FEHD has implemented a series of enhancement measures regulating life-saving attendants at private swimming pools from May this year. The FEHD will continue to implement these measures, which have been operating smoothly to date and have achieved the intended results.
As at November 30, the FEHD had conducted approximately 11 000 inspections at various times of the day across over 1 400 licensed private swimming pools in Hong Kong, and had verified over 5 000 lifeguard qualifications through the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKLSS) this year. One case involving suspected use of a fraudulent life-saving attendant certificate was identified. The FEHD reported it to the Police and prosecuted the swimming pool licensee for failing to provide a sufficient number of qualified life-saving attendants during pool opening hours. The licensee concerned was subsequently convicted by the magistrates' court for contravening the Swimming Pools Regulation (Section 12 of Cap. 132CA) and fined $8,000. The unqualified life-saving attendant who used the fraudulent qualification was also prosecuted by the Police and sentenced to two months' imprisonment for the offences of "fraud" and "obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception". In addition, two other suspected cases of insufficient provision of qualified life-saving attendants were found and the FEHD has initiated investigations. Prosecutions will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence. During the inspections over the same period, FEHD officers issued a total of 13 verbal warnings against licensees for violating the licensing conditions relating to life-saving attendants. These warnings involved failures to display at the pool entrances the number of life-saving attendants on duty and to properly complete or maintain life-saving attendants' daily duty records.
The spokesman said, "Overall, most of the swimming pools were in compliance with the regulations relating to life-saving attendants, and the FEHD's inspections were effective in identifying suspected violations. The FEHD will continue to execute the measures to ensure the safety of swimming pool users."
The spokesman stressed that swimming pool licensees are required to strictly fulfill their responsibility of verifying the qualifications of life-saving attendants and ensuring sufficient qualified life-saving attendants are on duty while the pool is open. The FEHD reminded all swimming pool licensees not to employ unqualified life-saving attendants or permit those with fraudulent qualifications to be on duty, and to strictly observe the Swimming Pools Regulation (Cap. 132CA) and other licensing conditions. The FEHD will take stringent follow-up actions against any violation identified.
Since May 19 this year, the FEHD has implemented a series of enhanced measures to strengthen the regulation of lifeguards at private swimming pools. These include stepping up inspection frequency at different times of the day, requiring licensees to verify the identity documents of life-saving attendants before employment and to keep copies of their Pool Lifeguard Awards and personal logbooks on proper record, introducing a new penalty mechanism and strengthening co-operation with HKLSS and the Property Management Services Authority.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)
