Poolview Plus+ Automatic Drowning Detection in Sheffield

Leah Taylor, Jade Charles, Jon West & Robin McGloughlin

In January 2018 we were delighted to commission and handover Poolview Plus+ to Places for People Leisure - Staff and Management at a pool in Sheffield.

Poolview plus+ is our Computer Intelligent System for the Detection of Drowning Incidents and Accidents in Swimming Pools.

Working on the principle of "Blended Lifeguarding" the technique which combines the traditional methods of pool supervision, safety and rescue with technology driven drowning detection and prevention systems, thus creating a working practice which harmonises the best capabilities of each to produce a safer swimming environment for all.

Preparing and supporting Lifeguards for the inevitable!

Four Poolview Plus+ Installations in January

Poolview Plus+ - Simply the best for "Blended Lifeguarding"

2018 -Starting off with a bang!

Today sees the start of a series of four Poolview Plus+ installations in England.

With two teams working in parallel throughout the length and breadth of the country we will have everyone operational before the end of the month.

Poolview Plus+ - taking Blended Lifeguarding to a new level

New Poolview Plus+ Drowning Detection System Video

What a start to 2018

Today we release our latest Poolview Plus+™ video - shot on the days leading up to Christmas in Sheffield.

The video shows the benefits of "Blended Lifeguarding" and how Poolview Plus+ adds another layer of protection for both Swimmers and Lifeguards alike. 

Poolview Plus+ Drowning Detection in Saudi Arabia

Poolview Ltd are delighted to be in on site in Saudi Arabia measuring up for the installation of six Poolview Plus+ Intelligent Systems for the detection of possible drowning accidents/incidents in swimming pools.

Poolview Plus+™ will "track" each swimmer and continuously monitor their activity until such time as it detects a "possible incident" developing.

At this point Poolview Plus+™ technology alerts the Lifeguard/First Responder to the "unusual swimmer behaviour", whereupon they can then take any appropriate action required.

Poolview Plus+ Automatic Drowning Detection Installed

Absolutely delighted to have installed our latest Poolview Plus+ computer intelligent system for the detection of possible drowning incidents in Mayfair, London.

Poolview Plus+™ and SwimEye™ developed artificial intelligence operates software in the background and supports the fully trained Lifeguard and first responders with their responsibilities

Poolview Plus+™ will "track" each swimmer and continuously monitor their activity until such time as it detects a "possible incident" developing.

At this point Poolview Plus+™ technology alerts the Lifeguard/First Responder to the "unusual swimmer behaviour", whereupon they can then take any appropriate action required.

Poolview and the Southern Area Hospice

Robin McGloughlin at 3800 metres

Over the past 18 months our Business Director - Robin McGloughlin has been participating in a number of events to raise funds for his local hospice.

Poolview Ltd were proud to contribute to his fundraising efforts and presented him with a cheque for the Southern Area Hospice a few weeks before he left on his final challenge of trekking in the Indian Himalayas, finally getting to an altitude of 3800m

Well done Robin!

Banbridge RFC presents £2,500 Hospice Cheque to Poolview Director

Poolview Director Robin McGloughlin with Banbridge RFC President Robbie Ervine

Over the past 12 months Banbridge Rugby Club have been helping their Club Media Officer and Poolview Director Robin McGloughlin raise funds for the Southern Area Hospice.

Including club raffles, music nights, collection boxes and dedicated Hospice funds raising days (to name but a few) the Senior Club, Junior Club, Ladies Committee, Players, Members and Visitors have contributed a total of £2500 to the local Hospice.

Thanks go to every single person who contributed in any way shape or form - your support is very much needed and appreciated.

Blended Lifeguarding & Poolview Reaches Wolverhampton

This installation for one reason or another has taken quite a few years to bring to fruition.

Delighted to be on site in Wolverhampton - sharing the "Blended Lifeguard" revolution with another facility and their staff.

One of the biggest systems installed in the UK - we know that swimmer is safety is being taken to a new level.

Poolview Lifeguard Training

Robin McGloughlin explaining Blended Lifeguarding

One of the services which we regularly undertake is staff training with particluar reference to the technique of "Blended Lifeguarding".

The training session is very hard hitting and covers much about how and why "things go wrong".

Here we see our Business Director delivering training to Lifeguards, Trainer Assessors and Managers at a Places for People facility.

Blended Lifeguarding Seminar at Elevate

Great to see this article featured in the June issue of the UK Pool and Spa Scene publication, reporting on the seminar we participated in at this years Elevate event in London's Excel

Speakers at the Maximising Aquatics Revenue were, from left to right, Alyson Zell, Aquatic Business Manager at Freedom Leisure, Helen Meckiffe of Pfp Leisure, Robin McGloughlin of Poolview Ltd, Martin Symcox, Director of IQL UK and Water Safety Management at Royal Life Saving Society UK and Nicole O’Callaghan, Business Development Director at JC Leisure.

Lively, well-attended seminars at this year’s Elevate show at London’s Excel included a thought-provoking talk by ‘blended’ lifeguarding specialists, Poolview, on balancing the role of technology for the benefit of staff and users of public swimming pools. A self-confessed ‘early adopter’ Robin McGloughlin of Poolview said it has taken many years of knocking on doors for ‘below water’ technology to become an overnight success. “In 2011, we installed two Poolview systems, followed by three in 2012 and eight in 2013,” Robin told Elevate17 delegates. “In 2017, we will hit 52 installs; that is the equivalent of one installation every week.” Having been involved in a tragic incident while working at a pool in his native Ireland, Robin has been a trailblazer for the introduction of assisted technology to support lifeguards. “One of my aims is to prevent the crap that I went through with an incident that still lives with me today,” Robin shared. “My job is not to get rid of lifeguards, the technology I am working with is to help lifeguards.

MODERN LIFEGUARDING: “We need to change our attitudes to using technology to support modern lifeguarding.” Quoting HSG179 guidelines, Robin laid out the four main options for drowning prevention management as:

1. Wearable technology including wristbands

2. CCTV technology with below water cameras

3. Computer intelligent technology with below water cameras and alerts

4. Doing nothing

“Technology is here to stay,” Robin said. “It will get better and better; costs will come down and safety will get better and better as a result,” he added urging public pool operators to take technology on board. Helen Meckiffe works for a multi-venue leisure operator, that has integrated Poolview into many of its pools. “We would all welcome the opportunity to sit down with architects, designers and clients to influence the way pools are being built,” Helen told delegates. “But the truth is that the ideal pool just does not exist. “Pools come in all shapes and sizes with hazards such as window glare, down lighting and free form areas.

NEUTRALISING HAZARDS : “What Poolview provides does is neutralise those hazards offering 100% visibility whatever the conditions,” she continued. “I am an advocate of lifeguard, I am not saying get rid of lifeguards but Poolview allows you to be a little bit more creative as regards programming,” “Poolview won’t raise an alarm, call an ambulance or rescue someone from a pool,” she added. “But you could reduce your lifeguarding resource, for programmes such as an aqua exercise class; where you can reasonably cut down to one lifeguard in addition to the instructor because you have additional control measures.” Helen recalled a recent incident when a swimmer at one of her pools suffered a seizure while in the water. “Having read witness statements with a critical eye, the Poolview system not only endorsed what had been said but showed the lifeguards had done even more than they remembered,” emphasised Helen who supports the Pool View system that she believes has a significant role to play in the recruitment and retention of modern lifeguards. Helen and Robin were taking part in one of the seminars organised as part of Elevate at London’s Excel arena, The full Elevate 2017 programme is divided into four seminar streams which take place in the gallery rooms, and three presentation areas on the exhibition floor.

A cluster of water leisure exhibitors at this year’s Elevate included swimming merchandise specialists SRS Leisure.

MAXIMISING REVENUE : Damian Stevenson, Insight and Partnerships Director at Swim England (formerly ASA) chaired the presentation on Maximising Aquatics Revenue – increasing usage and managing costs. This seminar will explored how to successfully implement and market innovative aquatics programming for a range of users and provides a great experience for swimmers, while examining maintenance strategies and cost savings. Swimming is the most popular participation sport, with over 2.5 million adults swimming weekly, yet swimming pools across the nation are not being used to their full potential. Pools are expensive to maintain, manage, staff and program, therefore optimising pool usage and cost saving strategies are vital. Damian’s team have been fundamental in rolling out behavioural insights that have led to the development of enhanced customer experiences across many parts of the aquatics sector.

These experiences are designed to build a strong sense of achievement and satisfaction amongst existing swimmers, whilst encouraging ‘non-swimmers’ to re-discover their love of splashing about in water! Alyson Zell, Aquatic Business Manager at Freedom Leisure picked up the baton with an insight into optimising pool usage across 42 pools – through innovative programming, marketing and customer experience There was also a talk by Martin Symcox, Director of IQL UK and Water Safety Management at Royal Life Saving Society UK while Nicole O’Callaghan, Business Development Director at JC Leisure urged pool operators to focus on effective maintenance strategies – planned maintenance, energy management and staff training.

Teenager drowns at Greenbooth Reservoir

A teenage boy has drowned in a reservoir, police have said.

The youngster had reportedly got into difficulties while swimming with friends at Greenbooth Reservoir in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Police were called to the moorland beauty spot at 17:55 BST. An underwater search team examined the area and later discovered the boy's body.

The boy's details have not been released and police said they did not believe his death was suspicious.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said his family were aware and being supported by specially trained officers.

Det Ch Insp John Harris said: "My sincerest condolences are with the boy's family at hearing this heart-wrenching news.

"We are working closely with our partners and witnesses to the incident to understand the circumstances."

Drowning Prevention Week - 16th - 26th June 2017

Drowning Prevention Week - 16th - 26th June 2017

Those of you who follow us will be well aware that I unfortunately post on a much to regular basis about dreadful drowning tragedies that occur during the hot summer days and holiday season.  How often do we hear about the senseless loss of life at the beach, in a river, lake, back garden or holiday resort swimming pool?

I have a personal friend whose child tragically drowned in their hotel pool less than SIXTY minutes after they arrived – can you even begin to imagine the anguish and heartache?

Many parents will be entertaining their children over the summer months in all of these places and we are unfortunately reminded all too often that water can be incredible dangerous if carers don’t take proper safety precautions to ensure their children’s safety. In support of Drowning Prevention Week (16-26 June 2017), a campaign organised by the Royal Life Saving Society UK, Poolview Ltd have prepared this infographic on water safety and keeping your children safe over the summer months.

Keeping your child safe in water

As simple as it sounds – children MUST have constant supervision around water and that even includes the bath.  This means keeping your eye on them at all times! This means “forget your mobile phone – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – email etc. etc.”

Holiday fatalities in foreign countries and new pools tend to happen on the 1st day in the 1st few hours, when the excitement has built to fever pitch with masses of distractions, suddenly your wee Jonny is out of sight – out of depth and at the bottom of a murky pool!

Rivers and lakes hold untold dangers, hot days 24 degrees and cold 4-degree water can put the body into shock and tragedy unfolds.  Not forgetting the hidden dangers that lie beneath the surface including frighteningly fast currents and shopping trollies!  Lakes and rivers look so benign and inviting – peaceful and placid – they can be waiting to “suck you in”.
 

Here are 10 tips to keep children safe when in or near water

Stop a chain of events occurring which will bring a personal tragedy to your own front door. Children can drown in less than 6cm of water so that includes buckets of water, ditches, large puddles, inflatable pools… anywhere a pool of water can form.  

1) If your child can’t swim make sure you use approved flotation devices that are correct for your child’s weight and height. 

2) If your child can swim they are still at risk and they must still be supervised in water within arm’s reach to provide ‘touch supervision’.

3) Learn to swim, an obvious one but we hear of parents taking their children swimming and watching or paddling from the side as they are unable to swim.  

4) From the age of 1 you can teach your baby to swim. Participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.

5) Ensure your child drinks plenty of fluids even when they are in the water to prevent dehydration which could cause dizziness or nausea.  

6) Make sure you test the water temperature before you enter the water. Your body temperature drops more quickly in water and can quickly move to hypothermia (when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it). If a child is shivering or has muscle cramps, get him or her out of the water immediately.

7) Don’t bathe or swim in unfamiliar waters without checking for the dangers. How deep? If you don’t know, don’t go.

8) Leave your mobile phone alone – you are there to supervise. Never leave a child unattended in or near water.

9) Have your child swim where there is a lifeguard.

10) Learn CPR (attend a class if you can). In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills can save a life.

#DPW #stopdrowning #makeadifference #supportinglifeguards

Drowning Prevention Week - 16th - 26th June 2017

15 Year Old Drowns in Madrid Public Pool

A 15 year old boy has died in hospital in Madrid having been underwater for more than 5 minutes in the municipal swimming pool in Arganda del Rey, according to a spokesperson from the Madrid Emergency services.

At around 17.45 SUMMA (Emergency Medical Services of Madrid) received a call about the drowning and sent out a medical team by helicopter to the swimming pool in san Sebastion street in Madrid.

Here they they met the lifeguards administering CPR to the child , with the help of a defibrilator.

The SUMMA medical team continued with the CPR and the boy momentarily got a pulse, but then once again stopped breathing.

After being intubated he was taken to the Twelfth of October (the hospital) by helicopter , where he was placed in ICU. 

The medical centre has confirmed that he then died. The boy was playing in the water with friends before the accident.

Suddenly his friends lost sight of him and told the lifeguard who rescued the boy from the water and started resuscitation.

According to witnesses he may have been under the water in the pool for more than 5 minutes.

Horrifying moment a five-year-old boy starts drowning at a Swimming Pool

It's so very true that a picture tell a thousand words! In this disturbing clip which unfortunately shows a young 5 year old boy getting into difficulty whilst everyone around him doesn't notice!

THANKFULLY he survived which is absolutely amazing condidering he was actually sumberged for over four and a half minutes!

Horrifying footage shows a five-year-old boy seemingly start to drown at a crowded pool in Helsinki, while other swimmers carry on oblivious to his plight. 

Footage posted to Imgur shows the youngster struggling in the water for several minutes before losing consciousness.

User Irongross who posted the video, claims the boy was left unsupervised while his mother spent time in the sauna, although this statement has not as yet been verified.

Thankfully the child was resuscitated after a woman finally noticed his body floating on the surface, and has not suffered any permanent harm.

At the start of the footage, the origins of which are unknown, the boy appears to be trying to get his head above water in the shallow pool but is not quite tall enough. 

A man with his child is standing right in front of him, but doesn't seem to notice that he's in difficulty.

After flailing around, he starts trying to get to the side of the pool so he can grip the wall by doing the  doggy paddle underwater.

At one point he does a 360 spin just before a woman swims by him, and although she appears to look right at him, she doesn't seem realise he needs help.

The boy appears to be trying to get his head above water in the shallow end of the pool but can't quite manage it

A man standing nearby does not seem to realise that the youngster is in difficulty

Footage shows the youngster trying to doggy paddle his way to the side of the pool underwater

The child desperately tried to get a grip on the side, but just as he manages it the flow of the water pulls him away. 

He starts drifting towards another group of people who don't seem to see him under the water, and it's at this point that he's unable to carry on struggling. 

His body goes still and starts drifting towards the centre of the pool, still unobserved.

Other swimmers appear not to notice his frantic efforts to reach the side of the pool

The young boy manages to get hold of the side of the pool for just an instant before drifting away again

It was a full minute before anyone noticed the boy floating face down in the water. Thankfully he was plucked out and resuscitated and did not suffer any permanent harm 

For an agonising minute, he continues to bob along in the water face down before a woman finally notices and pulls him out. 

'He was under water four minutes 36 seconds and was saved when his lifeless corps floated next to unknown woman,' the poster explained. 

'Boy was resuscitated and didn't suffer permanent damage.'

The footage has since been viewed more than 173,000 times on Imgur.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4584114/Horrifying-moment-five-year-old-boy-starts-drowning.html#ixzz4jVZM5vzH
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Poolview Plus+ given Best Facility Innovation Award

Robin McGloughlin and Helen Meckiffe receiving the "Best facility Innovation" Award at Elevate

At this years Elevate in London's ExCel Arena we were thrilled and delighted to be told that our Poolview Plus+ received the prize for Best Facility Innovation, which was hailed as an "innovative use of technology" by one judge!

BEST FACILITY INNOVATION:

Poolview Limited and SwimEye™ have collaborated and produced the worlds first proactive AND reactive computer intelligent system for the detection of possible drowning incidents in swimming pools.

We have called it Poolview plus+ and by using our tried and tested Poolview architecture, the lifeguards still have a monitor attached to their chair which displays the images from the eight carefully positioned underwater cameras, providing 100% below water coverage.

SwimEye™ developed artificial intelligence operates software in the background and supports the fully trained Lifeguard with their responsibilities Poolview Plus will "track" each swimmer and continuously monitor their activity until such time as it detects a "possible drowning" developing.

At this point our technology alerts the Lifeguard to the "unusual swimmer behaviour".

This information is relayed directly to Lifeguard via their Monitor.

The Lifeguard has then two options:- acknowledge and disarm the alarm acknowledge and escalate the alarm - which initiates the Emergency Action Plan and the swimmer is "rescued".

Thus - in the situation when a Lifeguard "misses" a developing incident - their "co-worker" Poolview plus+ will back them up and draw their attention to a camera view and the relevant swimmer.

Poolview Plus provides an additional layer of protection for swimmers - assists lifeguards with their duties and never switches off Poolview plus+ increases efficiencies for management but most importantly supports lifeguards in their difficult role.

Elevate 17

What a fantastic few days in the magnificent ExCel Arena at Elevate in London, the UK's largest cross-sector leisure event, bringing together the physical activity sector, academia, healthcare, policy makers, local authorities and performance experts.

Great to be there with a fine knowledgable team. Helen Meckiffe, Robin Mitchell (Pioneering Pool Solutions) and Martin Wessman (SenTag) all topped off by winning the "Best Facility Innovation" award for our Poolview Plus+ System.

New friends, new clients, new prospects - opening up further the drive for "Blended Lifeguarding"

Poolview at Elevate 2017

On Wednesday 10th May our Business Director - Robin McGloughlin will be speaking at Elevate 2017 - the UK's largest cross-sector event bringing together the physical activity sector, academia, healthcare, policy makers, local authorities and performance experts.

The seminar title is - Maximising aquatics revenues - increasing usage and managing costs.

His presentation will be incorporated within the "Drowning prevention strategies and the latest technologies" section.

We are at stand 154

If you are are attending Elevate at ExCel in London - please do call to the stand for a chat

Romsey embraces Blended Lifeguarding with Poolview

We are delighted to announce that we have now installed our Poolview Safer Swimming System into Romsey.

We first looked at this complex site many years ago, but the time was just not right!

Today, with the concept of "Blended Lifeguarding" being embraced around the country it is great to see this complex pool being given additional eyes and another layer of protection to help support the Lifeguards

"Blended Lifeguarding - someday all pools will be managed this way!

Drowning does NOT look like Drowning

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Not in MY Back Yard

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It has been a strange weekend!

On Friday night an incident occurred in the swimming pool at one of my local leisure Centres within my Council area - one I know quite well.

Unfortunately and sadly a young 20 year old man died in the local hospital a short time later.

Now at this stage as you would expect - details are pretty thin on the ground but my thoughts go to the family and of course the staff. The centre at time of writing was still closed.

What prompted this article was "local" reaction to the incident.

I have been involved in Drowning Prevention since the early 80's when I first donned a whistle and lifeguard uniform (along with very uncomfortable flip flops).

I first installed Drowning Prevention Technology (DPT) in the swimming pool at the local leisure centre on which I project managed the build for the Council in 2001 (it has since been switched off)

I became involved in "selling" DPT in 2008 before finally forming Poolview Limited in partnership with Paul Brown late 2012.

My personal Facebook page is "littered" with warning posts I share following a tragedy, fatality, near miss etc.

So it's fair to say locally I would be known as the guy whose specialist subject on "Mastermind" would be drowning prevention!

Now to the point!

No matter what occurs around the UK in terms of a drowning or near miss - it is only on a very very rare occasion that someone will make comment to me about the tragedy.

Over the weekend, I have had more texts, phone calls and emails about this one incident, that occurred in a pool which is a 30 minute drive away, than I have had in the preceding 9 years!

So is it "Out of sight - out of mind?"

It is probably like much that goes on in the world today - it's only when it happens closer to home that people "sit up and take notice!"

In parts of the UK - amongst senior management - attitude to drowning is frighteningly relaxed - i.e. We have never had one! All the more worrying when the poor TA is pulling their hair out because of horrendous glare problems - but no-one listens!

This week I was talking to a local authority who are spending in excess of £30million on a new swimming pool and leisure centre - not only will they not even consider the use of DPT - they WON'T even future proof the pool by installing a couple of thousand pounds worth of camera niches!

There is no doubt the "Early Adopters" are blazing a trail here, but my goodness the "Laggards" can be so frustrating with their blinkered views and "not in my backyard" thinking.

As I said - a strange weekend!