When i was training to be a life guard we had to as part of our training 'take on' certain disabilities We had our ears blocked and had to wear an hearing aid - believe me, they don't work around a pool. Picking up certain sounds is totally out of the question. A person screaming is not deciphered from 'play screaming' - and many other sounds. If this person had to be a life guard at my pool she would be restricted to lane swimming only - at the most.

Sorry if i sound really hard on this one - but really wearing her hearing aids around the pool is no answer - unless of course she has those ab fab private ones where they pick up as near to normal hearing as poss - now there's a different pool of fish althogether ......but if she states she can get them out real fast I think not.

Still say not fit for duty - sorry.

Becky

Milne Campbell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Why are you worried about the hearing aids?
If wearing hearing aids meets the requirements of the DDA
(i.e. gives an effective level of hearing)
Then surely in peril if the hearing aid gets damaged and a life is saved - so what.

Although I clearly understand the dilemma.

Campbell Milne
Trainee OH Nurse

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of anita stephenson
Sent: 05 March 2007 18:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Lifeguards

Hi Alana

For what it's worth, I would have thought this a straight forward risk
assessment....Job requires fully functional lugs...candidate needs a
reasonable adjustment to enjoy fully funcional lugs...If candidate refuses
the reasonable adjustment, it's a capability issue.

>From: Becky <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Occupational Health mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Lifeguards
>Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 12:47:36 +0000
>
>Hi Alana
> I was life guard at my local swimming pool (be it years ago) but even
>then full hearing was a must.
> Lets reverse this .......... if you were in the 12ft drowning would you
>want the lifeguard to say "hang on i'm coming just gotta take my hearing
>aids out first tho"? Mmm thought not.
> Does this person hear the three whistles?
> Can she hear folks calling her for help?
> If you let this girl work and a death occur at the pool (and they do)
>whilst she was on duty - how would you feel?
> We could all argue . ...... sorry 'debate' about 'good standard' and
>what qualifies etc etc - but at the end of the day I wouldn't want to be
>swimming where I knew the lifeguard had hearing deficit.
> Becky
>
>
>
>
>Alana Otway <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>Would appreciate your views on a situation that is proving to be a little
>tricky.
>
>A line manager recently noticed that one of his lifeguards was having
>difficulty in hearing things, after a referral and a hearing test, it turns
>out that this lifeguard has a severe hearing deficit and should be wearing
>hearing aids (this was not disclosed on their pre employment).
>The HSE guidelines state that a lifeguard must have a good standard of
>vision and hearing.
>This person does not have hearing aids, mainly because they have not been
>to specialist in some time and because they have not told anyone in work
>about their hearing difficulties. ( this person is very young and I got
>the impression it was an image thing)
>After further discussion with Occ Health Physician it was decided that this
>person was possibly not fit to carry out lifeguard duties. We have looked
>at redeployment and not a possibility. It has since emerged that this
>person is now prepared to wear her hearing aids at the pool side and she
>can remove them quickly in an emergency. (have not been able to find any
>products that will allow them to be kept in when in the pool).
>We are aware that a risk assessment is necessary and that they would come
>under the remit of the DDA, but there are still concerns that we are
>risking the safety of the public, has anyone ever come across this
>situation before and any advice with regards this would be appreciated.
>
>With Thanks in anticipation.
>
>Alana Otway
>
>Ymgynghorydd Iechyd Galwedigaethol/Occupational Health Advisor
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