Elements and Performance Criteria

The Range Statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the Performance Criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Hazardous behaviour and activities may include:
misusing equipment
swimming in unsafe areas
behaving with disregard for the safety of others or self
chewing gum while swimming
diving into shallow water
consuming alcohol or illegal drugs.
Clients may include:
participants
care-givers
members
volunteers
facility owners
spectators
staff.
Aquatic facility and environments may include:
pools and spas
pool surrounds
play equipment
shower and changing areas
lakes, rivers and dams
beaches.
Clients at risk may include:
drug or alcohol affected
overweight
elderly
people with a disability
weak or non-swimmers
injured swimmers
new facility users
young children.
Environmental hazards may include:
weather conditions
reflective glare
water clarity or turbidity
rips
shallow water.
Relevant legislation may include:
occupational health and safety
duty of care regulations
working with children regulations
dangerous goods act and regulations
environment legislation
anti-discrimination legislation.
Industry codes may include:
guidelines or code of conduct policies developed by peak bodies responsible for lifesaving:
Royal Life Saving Society Australia
Surf Life Saving Australia and relevant state or territory surf life saving organisation.
Organisational policies and procedures may include:
occupational health and safety
use and care of equipment
communication protocols
safety, rescue and emergency procedures
incident reporting
risk management
behaviour management.
Signs of possible casualtyor difficulty may include:
lack of movement
arm waving
calling for help.
Response may include:
type of rescue
required assistance
available assistance
required emergency services.
Emergency may include:
envenomation by aquatic animals
spinal injury
drowning
heart attack
severe bleeding
multiple victims.
Accepted best practice principles of aquatic rescues may include:
accepted preventative practice adopted throughout the aquatic industry to minimise safety hazards or risks
Royal Life Saving Society Australia guidelines and code of conduct policies
the culture of lifesaving.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
identifies behaviours and actions that pose a risk to the range of clients commonly encountered in aquatic facilities or environments
determines and actions appropriate responses according to the organisation's risk management plan and own level of responsibility
monitors and supervises client activity discreetly and takes prompt action within own level of responsibility to maintain a safe aquatic facility or environment at all times
uses effective communication techniques to monitor and manage the behaviour of clients and to document incidents
identifies the common signs and signals of a person experiencing difficulties in the water and determines and actions the most appropriate response.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
participation in supervisory duties on multiple occasions to demonstrate consistency of performance
access to an aquatic facility or environment
access to a range of participants
access to organisational policies and procedures appropriate to risk management
access to appropriate personnel
access to incident reporting documentation
access to first aid facilities and equipment.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of signs indicating client difficulty especially as regards high risk clients
observation of candidate responding to unacceptable behaviour and actions by clients in an aquatic environment
third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance
portfolio containing completed incident reports.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
SISCAQU202A Perform basic water rescues
SISXRSK301A Undertake risk analysis of activities