April , 2021
How to Use a Lifeguard Spineboard
Lifeguards play a vital role. Swimmers rely on lifeguards to keep everyone safe as they swim and enjoy their time in the water, whether they spend it in a lake, pond, ocean or community swimming pool. When you're on duty, everyone can enjoy the water with confidence, knowing you have their back.
Every lifeguard hopes to avoid water emergencies, but you have to be ready if they occur. You're responsible for doing all you can to save someone who needs your help in the water. You'll use various items to perform these life-saving procedures. One of the tools you need to be ready to use is the lifeguard spineboard.
What Is a Lifeguard Spineboard?
The lifeguard spineboard goes by several names, including the backboard and the pool spinal board. These names give a hint toward their purpose — they're the tool you'll use when someone suffers a back or spinal injury in the water. Spinal injuries can be severe, requiring specialized tools to prevent further harm. Spineboards are essential for aquatic spinal injury rescues.
A lifeguard backboard functions much like the stretchers used by EMTs and paramedics. Their purpose is to keep a patient immobilized during transportation. Moving or bending a patient's spine after injury could cause more damage and worsen the situation's severity. Immobilized patient transportation is crucial to ensuring the patient has the best chance for recovery. The spineboard's built-in head immobilizer and straps help make this possible.
As a lifeguard, you'll need a spineboard to give an injured person that chance for recovery until the ambulance arrives to bring them to the hospital. When someone sustains an injury in the water, you must use a spineboard if there's even a slight possibility they've sustained spinal trauma. Water can be unpredictable, especially in the ocean and other large, moving bodies of water.
The goal of using a spineboard is to remove the patient from the water without causing any more movement or damage to the spine. Make sure you're using a high-quality spineboard you can count on. The Lifeguard Store is your destination for spineboards that will help you perform a successful rescue procedure.
How to Use a Lifeguard Spineboard
You'll need to use the correct spinal board procedure in the water to save the injury victim. Knowing how to backboard and practicing the process is the only way to ensure a successful rescue. In this section, we'll take a look at how to backboard a patient.
1. Take Immediate Action
After the injury has occurred, you must take these next steps right away:
- Blow your whistle to clear the pool.
- Instruct someone nearby, either a lifeguard or civilian, to call 911.
- Send someone to retrieve the automatic external defibrillator if you need it after removing the victim from the water.
- Have another lifeguard bring you a spineboard and prepare to enter the water.
This task demands the strength and cooperation of two lifeguards. Be sure you're both ready for action after performing the steps listed above.
2. Enter the Water and Stabilize the Victim's Head and Neck
In an oceanic situation, you'll have to fight with waves and currents during the entire rescue. In a public pool setting, you have more control over what happens. Gently slide into the water to avoid splashes or ripples in the water that could disturb the victim and cause more spinal damage. Walk toward the victim if the water is shallow enough, doing all you can to keep the water calm and still for the injured person.
Once you reach the victim, raise their arms over their head and bring them to a point. This position will hold their head in place until you're ready to use the spineboard. Keep the person's body straight in the water, parallel to the water's surface. Be sure to keep their head immobilized until the end of the rescue, as letting it move after immobilization could be detrimental.
3. Place the Victim on the Spineboard and Reposition
As you keep the victim's head immobilized, the second lifeguard must maneuver the spineboard through the water so the victim can rest on it. Have the second lifeguard told the spineboard on its side and dunk it straight into the water. The spineboard will want to float back up. As this happens, the second lifeguard will move the spineboard, so it slowly rises flat against the victim's back. Make sure the victim's head is in the spineboard's head restraint box.
Then, you can prepare to secure the victim to the spineboard by repositioning them. The second lifeguard should rest their forearm on the victim's chest, holding their head by the chin. Lower the victim's arms so they rest on their abdomen. Next, make your way to the wall of the pool to give you more leverage and security. Hold this position so the second lifeguard can dunk floating rescue tubes under the spineboard's head and foot, providing necessary support.
4. Secure the Victim to the Spineboard
The second lifeguard should then attach the victim to the spineboard to avoid further movement. Begin with the top strap, securing it under the victim's arms and over their chest. This strap keeps the patient stabilized when tilting the spineboard up and out of the water during the removal process. Then, fasten the remaining straps over the victim's entire body, being sure to make a firm connection with the straps' Velcro or buckle mechanisms.
Direct your attention to the victim's head, which you have been stabilizing up to this point. Have the second lifeguard apply both sides of the head restraint to the patient's head as you slowly remove your hands. Secure the head restraints with the included strap, attaching it above the forehead.
5. Remove the Victim From the Water
At this point, you and your partner are ready to take the injured person out of the water. Both of you should stand on either side of the spineboard and lift it so the top rests on the pool's gutter. Secure the spineboard as your partner exits the pool and takes a position behind the victim's head. Once they have secured the board, move to the foot of the board and prepare for removal.
On your count, have your partner pull the spineboard toward them as you push from your position. Keep the spineboard as low to the ground as possible to avoid dropping it and hurting the patient. Once you've removed the patient, cover them in a towel or blanket and apply first aid to any other injuries as you wait for the medical professionals to arrive.
Be Ready for Spinal Injuries With Spineboards From The Lifeguard Store
A spineboard is an essential tool for lifeguards everywhere. We make shopping for spineboards easy and convenient. You can do it all from the comfort of your home, and you can have confidence in your purchase thanks to our superior customer service quality products. We offer affordable prices, no-hassle returns and fast shipping, to name a few of the ways we enhance the online spineboard shopping process.
Contact us today to learn more or talk to a representative at 800-846-7052. Invest in swimmers' safety by keeping a spineboard from The Lifeguard Store on hand at all times. We look forward to equipping you with all the lifeguard gear you need.
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What to Bring to Your First Day Lifeguarding
Starting a new lifeguarding job is exciting and perhaps a little nerve-wracking. To prepare, you'll want to know what to bring to work as a lifeguard from day one. Every lifeguard needs a few essentials on hand at all times, and it's smart to gather these supplies before the job starts. Here's everything you need to know about what to expect on that exciting first day of work, and what to bring with you.
Your Lifeguarding First-Day Checklist
You'll need to have several things with you on your first day of lifeguarding, and every day working as a lifeguard after that. First, get a dedicated bag for your lifeguarding supplies, and ensure you always have it organized and ready to go. Backpacks and small duffel bags work well as lifeguarding bags that will hold all your essentials. The exact details of what you may need can vary depending on your job and where you lifeguard, but in general, these are the lifeguard bag essentials you should have.
- Uniform and swimwear: Every lifeguard needs a swimsuit! If your job has a required uniform, be sure to wear or bring it to work every day. If you have some leeway with your swimwear choices, be sure to find something comfortable, as you'll be spending a lot of time in this suit. Your uniform may also include shorts and a T-shirt you can wear over your swimsuit, so be sure to wear or bring these as well. You might also want a sweatshirt or light jacket in case of cooler weather. A hat or visor is also a practical accessory to shade your face from the sun, but this is usually totally optional.
- A towel: Keep a quality towel in your gear bag to dry off after time in the water. Choose absorbent, lightweight towels.
- Whistle and lanyard: Ensure you've got a whistle and a sturdy lanyard to keep it safe and handy. Whistles help lifeguards signal to swimmers and co-workers.
- Personal care items: Be sure to take care of yourself while on the job. Pack a UV-blocking pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and glare off the water, and some lip balm and sunscreen to protect your skin. Look for SPF 30 or higher on any sunscreen product, including lip balm, and remember to reapply every two hours to avoid sunburn and skin damage. Lifeguards tend to go through lots of sunblock, so stock up!
- Water bottle and snacks: Staying hydrated is crucial for lifeguards, especially in hotter weather. Keep a quality water bottle in your bag at all times, top it off with fresh water, then remember to drink up. Pack a few healthy snacks in your bag, too, to maintain your energy levels throughout the day. If you have a long shift, don't forget a meal for your lunch break.
- CPR mask: Prepare for emergencies while protecting yourself with a CPR mask. You'll find various CPR masks available, from simple pocket shields to fancier mask kits. All these masks allow a rescue worker to perform lifesaving CPR while preventing the transfer of saliva or other bodily fluids.
- CPR and lifeguard certifications: On your first day on the job, you may need to bring your lifeguard and CPR certifications to show your manager before you start. You likely won't need to carry these around every day, but you'll want to have them handy if you complete a recertification course or begin a new position.
Once you've got all these essential items packed in your lifeguarding bag, you'll be fully ready for your first day as a lifeguard. With your supplies on hand, you're all set to hit the pool — or beach. Once you're on the job, you may also receive additional supplies to carry with you, such as a first-aid kit, a rescue tube, a walkie-talkie or other items a lifeguard needs to fulfill their responsibilities.
What to Expect During Your First Day
The first day on any job can be a little bit anxiety-inducing — especially with a responsibility as vital as lifeguarding — but you don't need to be nervous. After all, this is what you've been training for. Before your first day, study your lifeguarding manual or handbook to ensure all the information is fresh in your mind when you start work. You may also want to review these guidelines periodically throughout the season to ensure you remember everything you need to do to respond quickly in emergencies.
On your very first day at your lifeguarding job, you will likely have some additional training on the procedures specific to that job. Initially, you may shadow another lifeguard or employee before you get to work independently. When you start lifeguarding, your supervisor will probably assign you to a post, either standing in one area or sitting in a lifeguard's chair. In either case, you'll need to keep scanning the water, ensuring all swimmers are safe and following the rules.
Remain at your post until it's time to switch places or go home for the day. Keep yourself hydrated and well-fed, so you have the energy to keep working. Stay vigilant, watching for any issues and dangers, and don't be afraid to ask questions or request help when you need it. When you take time to prepare for your first day of lifeguarding and have the right supplies on hand, you can work with confidence and succeed at your new job.
Get Everything You Need for Your First Day of Lifeguarding
If you're gearing up for a new lifeguarding job, you'll want to get all the essential things a lifeguard needs. Stock up on supplies for a lifeguard's first day at The Lifeguard Store. From swimsuits and extra clothing for lifeguards to water bottles, bags, first-aid equipment and sunscreen, we are your one-stop shop for all your lifeguarding gear. We offer an extensive selection of lifeguard products and have excellent customer service to help you find what you need. Shop with us today!
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