It does not matter where I go, HR & OHS are always on my mind. Last night I was swimming at my local pool when suddenly from the changes room a patron ran out saying emergency. Naturally, the lifeguards ran to the change rooms to determine what had happened. As it turned out , a swimmer had felt dizzy, fainted and cut his head open on the floor with significant blood spilled.
Immediately the OHS part in my mind “kicked in”, and I wondered if they had a checklist to follow in the event of an emergency ? As I observed and offered assistance, it seemed they did not have a checklist they could readily locate and follow.
Some very quick observations:
- With no life guards around, who was responsible for getting all the swimmers out of the water ?
- Next , I heard someone say “ call an ambulance”. I knew the ambulance dispatcher was going to ask for details but of course the person making the call had no details to give.
- This then resulted in person at front desk have to leave the desk unattended , cash register open at the front door open, as they tried to get details from the scene of the accident.
- The incident was in the male change rooms and the person with the phone was a female, so she was reluctant to enter.
- So the male assisting the swimmer, left him to meet the female outside the change rooms.
Ultimately , order was restored and the patron comforted and the issues resolved.
Lesson: The lesson here it is about the staff taking a moment to identify the checklist to be used and the associated steps followed. Knowing and practising these emergency procedures will make the situation more controlled and instil confidence in those involved.