Beach safety

Penwith District Council has provided lifeguard cover on the beaches of Penwith for at least 25 years. It was first started under the auspices of the Borough and Urban Councils, but became centralised when Penwith District Council was formed in 1974.

At this time, Penwith also took control of the various pieces of Static Lifesaving Equipment positioned around the coastline.

The current situation is that Penwith District Council provides lifeguard cover on 14 of its most popular beaches and manages some 148 items of Static Rescue Equipment.

The beaches are generally covered from Whitsun until the second week in September. They are covered 7 days per week from 10am to 6pm. To achieve this cover some 44 lifeguards are employed during the season. The Static Equipment is checked fortnightly in the summer and monthly during winter. Static Equipment supplied on beaches covered by lifeguards is checked daily during the season.

To ensure that the best cover is provided, lifeguards must be qualified to either SLSA (Surf Lifesaving) or RLSS (Royal Lifesaving) Lifeguard Standard, must have a current First Aid Certificate and must pass as "in-house" test comprising of a timed swim (400m in 7 minutes), a resuscitation test, a first aid incident and a written exam. They must also undergo a rescue test on the beach. This is all undertaken on the day before they start work for the Council and they must pass all parts before they are considered suitable to start work.

The objectives of the service are:

• To provide as safe an environment as possible for the beach users.
• To promote beach and water safety.
• To advise members of the public on a range of topics.
• To provide an effective First Aid facility.
• To undertake rescues of casualties in distress or co-ordinate the rescue with other emergency services.

Performance Appraisal of Lifeguards is an on-going affair during the season. They must attend one swim training session per week and must undertake a 'beach test' fortnightly. They are tested monthly throughout the season on CPR and resuscitation skills.