Unit of competency details
SISCAQU029 - Perform open water rescues (Release 1)
Summary
Usage recommendation:
Current
Releases:
| 1 1 (this release) |
13/Dec/2022 |
Companion volumes:
Unit of competency
Assessment requirements
Training packages that include this unit
Qualifications that include this unit
Skill sets that include this unit
Classifications
Classification history
| ASCED Module/Unit of Competency Field of Education Identifier | 069907 | First Aid | 08/Feb/2023 | |
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Unit of competency
Modification History
Not applicable.
Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to complete rescues in natural flatwater swimming and recreation areas such as lakes, lagoons, dams, flatwater or slow moving rivers without rapids and non-surf beaches. It can also apply to built recreational facilities such as wave parks which replicate a natural environment. The collective term "open water" is used throughout this unit to delineate these environments from the confined nature of built aquatic facility pools and natural calm-water venues with a defined swimming area.
White water and surf rescues are covered in outdoor recreation units coded SISORSC.
It requires the ability to assess prevailing conditions, environmental hazards and rescuee circumstances to determine appropriate rescue actions. It covers skills to use equipment and techniques to provide prompt and effective rescue responses.
It has particular application to lifeguards but can apply to other workers, including outdoor recreation leaders, who complete open water rescues. Rescuers use discretion and judgement to manage significant problems when they arise, guided by established organisational rescue procedures.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Pre-requisite Unit
Nil
Competency Field
Aquatics
Unit Sector
Community Recreation
Elements and Performance Criteria
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ELEMENTS
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PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
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Elements describe the essential outcomes.
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Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
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1. Assess the situation and determine rescue requirements.
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1.1. Identify signs and signals of persons in difficulty and assess their situation promptly.
1.2. Identify prevailing conditions and environmental hazards and promptly assess risks to self, rescuee and others.
1.3. Determine appropriate rescue methods according to condition of person in need of rescue and environmental conditions.
1.4. Select rescue equipment suited to all assessed circumstances.
1.5. Provide prompt rescue alert to appropriate personnel according to time constraints and organisational emergency response procedures.
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2. Maintain self-safety.
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2.1. Negotiate open water and prevailing conditions with and without flotation devices, according to need.
2.2. Safely approach and negotiate obstacles and hazards to minimise risk of injury to self.
2.3. Use survival swimming techniques to maintain personal safety and to self-rescue when needed.
2.4. Implement strategies when unable to return to a point of safety without assistance.
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3. Rescue a person from open water.
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3.1. Select approach and contact methods to minimise risk of injury or submersion of self as rescuer.
3.2. Provide clear and concise instructions to person being rescued, when conscious.
3.3. Use tow equipment and techniques according to condition of rescued person and environmental conditions.
3.4. Support and monitor condition of rescued person, and use techniques to ensure airways are kept clear.
3.5. Extract person from water safely and efficiently, using equipment and techniques suited to prevailing conditions and condition of rescuee.
3.6. Assist rescued person according to organisational emergency response procedures.
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4. Debrief and complete reports.
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4.1. Participate in incident response debrief and identify future response improvements.
4.2. Complete required incident reports according to organisational procedures.
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Foundation Skills
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Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.
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SKILLS
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DESCRIPTION
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Reading skills to:
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- interpret detailed familiar organisational procedures for rescues and emergency response.
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Writing skills to:
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- use fundamental sentence structure to record accurate factual information about rescue responses in template incident reports.
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Oral communication skills to:
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- use clear and unambiguous verbal and non-verbal communications to make intent known.
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Self-management skills to:
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- critically analyse all circumstances and implications to provide a prompt and considered rescue response.
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Unit Mapping Information
No equivalent unit.
Links
Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=1ca50016-24d2-4161-a044-d3faa200268b
Assessment requirements
Modification History
Not applicable.
Performance Evidence
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
- participate in two simulated open water rescues to return a person in difficulty to a point of safety
- for each of the above two rescues:
- determine appropriate rescue methods and equipment, accounting for the signs of the person experiencing difficulty in the water, prevailing conditions and environmental hazards present
- consistently negotiate prevailing conditions and environmental hazards safely and effectively
- consistently use survival swimming techniques to maintain personal safety
- demonstrate fitness, strength, speed and efficiency throughout the rescue
- across the above two rescues collectively, use the following rescue aids effectively:
- rescue tubes
- non-motorised water craft used as a floatation and rescue device
- for one of the above rescues participate in a debrief and complete an incident report.
Knowledge Evidence
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
- organisational procedures for rescues and emergency response
- common active and passive signs and signals of a person experiencing difficulty in the water, and how these indicate their swimming abilities, condition and rescue needs
- importance of promptly alerting others to rescue, and:
- organisational reporting lines
- communication protocols for using telephones and radios
- relevant information conveyed
- for natural or artificial open water settings:
- hydrological features sufficient to recognise signs they are present, and understand the impacts on supervision, swimming, other recreational activities and rescues
- types of prevailing weather and water conditions that impact on supervision, recreational activities, and rescues
- types of environmental hazards, risks to self and person being rescued, and methods used to minimise risk
- survival swimming techniques used to self-rescue
- strategies that can be used when unable to return to a point of safety alone, including established signals and calls for help
- personal survival and defensive techniques used when approaching and rescuing swimmers in difficulty
- equipment and techniques used in open water rescues, and situations indicating their choice:
- rescue tubes
- rescue boards
- non-motorised water craft used as a floatation and rescue device
- techniques used to support rescued person and ensure their airways are clear during the rescue
- equipment and techniques used to extract rescued persons from the water, including assisted and unassisted
- assertive and constructive verbal communication techniques used during rescues to:
- direct person being rescued
- calm and reassure person being rescued
- actions typically taken after rescue from water is completed:
- monitoring condition of rescued person
- provision of first aid to casualties
- contact with emergency services to relay conditions of casualties
- rescue debriefing and reporting requirements
- formats and inclusions of written incident reports.
Assessment Conditions
Skills can be demonstrated in:
- a natural open water environment which can include a lake, lagoon, dam, flatwater or slow moving river without rapids and non-surf beach or
- a built recreational facility such as a wave park which replicates a natural environment.
Assessments can only be completed through simulated activities. Simulations must incorporate time critical requirements.
First aid equipment must be available to replicate industry conditions of operation.
Assessment must ensure use of:
- interaction with individuals who act as rescuees during simulated activities
- communication equipment for emergency response
- rescue equipment:
- rescue tubes
- non-motorised water craft for use as a floatation and rescue device; this can include surfboards, paddleboards, rescue board or any type of paddle craft or floatation aid
- template incident reports
- organisational procedures for rescues and emergency response.
Assessors must:
- satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations requirements for assessors, and
- have workplace experience where they have applied the skills and knowledge covered in this unit of competency over a period of two years working in industry.
Links
Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=1ca50016-24d2-4161-a044-d3faa200268b
