Overview

The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) is the standard qualification needed to become a lifeguard

Lifeguard

A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. The NPLQ qualifications and courses are administered by IQL UK Ltd, which is the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards. This is a subsidiary of the Royal Life Saving Society

Royal Life Saving Society UK

The Royal Lifesaving Society UK, also known as Lifesavers, is the governing body for lifesaving and lifeguarding in the United Kingdom. The Royal Lifesaving Society also exists in the Republic of Ireland under the title RLSS Ireland.-History:...

.

The courses usually comprise an intensive 1-week period of physical training and theoretical classroom work, followed by a practical in-water and out-of-water assessment on pool rescue, first aid, CPR and lifeguarding concepts. On average, the course can be fairly expensive, costing as much as £250. The qualification is internationally recognised and can be especially useful for students wishing to travel abroad to continue lifeguarding.

In Ireland the majority of awards are done through IQL Ireland (Institute of Qualified Lifeguards Ireland).

Course Structure

To obtain the qualification, two units must be passed . Unit one consits of training in swimming pool supervision, the principles of lifesaving and basic first aid. For new candidates, a minimum of thirty one hours training must have been undertaken. Unit one is assessed by an external trainer assessor.

Unit two assesses the practical application of the techniques learnt in unit one, with a minimum of seven hours work being required to pass. It is assessed on an on going basis by a qualified trainer assessor.

To obtain the qualification, both units must be passed within six months of each other. The qualification lasts for 2 years from the date of issue and a further 20 hours of training must be completed before a lifeguard applies for renewal.