As the pace of Poolview Plus+ installations continues around the country, it has become a necessity to add another vehicle to the fleet and very nice it is too!
Poolview Plus+ #supportinglifeguards #thisisnotagame #thisisagamechanger
Informative day at Broadwood Stadium in Glasgow for the Scottish leg of the Swimming Pool Seminar Series.
A number of key pillars from within the swimming pool health and safety community delivered a variety of workshops and talks on how swimming pools can comply with best practice. The speakers focused on providing tools and techniques that allow leisure operators to "prevent as oppose to cure".
Industry Experts included:
Robin Mitchell - Pioneering Pool Solutions
Ian Nicks - PWTAG
Colin Jenkinson - Leisure Safety Training
Mike Shuff - Carlton Associates Limited
Helen Meckiffe - Lifeguarding Industry Expert
Robin McGloughlin - Poolview
Back in London again with the first fix team on their first overnight session. We have had quite a journey this summer with installations on a weekly basis up and down the country.
Booked up weekly until 21st December in 2018 with an installation to finish an amazing year off in Yorkshire.
Still plenty of “water to go under the bridge” before then though!
Poolview Plus+ - “Blended Lifeguarding” at its best!
I have had some very interesting conversations over the last month or so with quite a few individuals about how we make use of technology to support lifeguards in swimming pools.
The majority was very positive, but some of it was quite surprising, raised by uninformed thinking from a few individuals. less understanding of the progress and the pace of change..
Some not fully understanding “where we actually are with technology and how we got here”
So I thought I should put fingers to keyboard (not pen to paper)!
At this stage in the UK with progress on the introduction of Drowning Prevention and Detection Technology we have just moving from the “Innovators” stage into the “Early Adopters” phase of establishment.
The Five Stages of technology Adoption
Innovators (2.5%) – Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. Innovators are willing to take risks, youngest in age, have the highest social class, have great financial lucidity, very social and have closest contact to scientific sources and interaction with other innovators. Risk tolerance has them adopting technologies which may ultimately fail. Financial resources help absorb these failures.
Early Adopters (13.5%) – This is the second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the other adopter categories. Early Adopters are typically younger in age, have a higher social status, have more financial lucidity, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters. More discrete in adoption choices than innovators. Realise judicious choice of adoption will help them maintain central communication position
For companies like Poolview Ltd and their Innovater/Early Adopter partners this can prove to be a very trying time as well as exciting.
When I reflect upon how we got here and really take stock and look at the numbers, the realisation really does hit me that we are forging and developing a new frontier.
As an innovator in my days as a leisure manager I was very blessed with having an understanding and supportive Director. I didn’t realise it until quite a few years later, I just presumed that everyone was in the same boat as me!
Roll forward quite a few years as I dipped my toes in the private sector and actually trying to “sell” technology - I very quickly realised that finding “Innovaters” was very difficult and that’s when the penny dropped that not everyone thought the same way as me.
So when we started Poolview Ltd just six short years ago, we formed a very tentative partnership with the then called DC Leisure. Like any partnership it took time to gain mutual trust, grow and develop.
We both wanted to "add layers of protection" to existing safety arrangements for swimmers and lifeguards alike. Figuring out together, how best to achieve this and in what configuration was the challenge.
This we did in a very organic way. Year one - 3 installations, Year two 7 installations, Year three - 15 installations, right up until today with the now called "Places Leisure" where we have installed or are installing just short of 70 systems in their swimming pools.
Places Leisure during this growth became much cherished “Sneezers” (a Sneezer is someone who spreads an idea) and installations in other private sector companies such as Everyone Active and Serco etc. followed.
Throughout this entire period we stopped “selling” product and rather concentrated on advising and educating the industry as to the benefits of ALL types and makes of technology for lifeguards, both wearable and optical.
I very strongly believed that we were at a tipping point within the industry and that our mission was to challenge, shape, mould and change the way in which we lifeguard pools in the UK today.
Engagement with many key players in the field, from the RLSS to Sport England, from the HSE to CIMSPA was vital, either face to face or round the back door!
In the eyes of the public - computer detection has been around for some time with Poseidon probably being the most widely known over that last two decades - but it always seemed to be a “nice to have, but not an essential" luxury!
We again were very lucky to have an incredibly supporting and accommodating partner in the guise of Places Leisure who kindly gave us permission in the summer of 2016 to start testing the software in the background with our Norwegian partners SwimEye.
I had a very focussed view on how I wanted the software developed for use in the UK market and thankfully I was fully supported by my fellow Directors, SwimEye and importantly Places Leisure - this integration is now referred to as “Blended Lifeguarding”.
We finally launched Poolview Plus+ on January 4th 2018 in Graves Health and Sports Centre and to say it has been an interesting eight months since, is the understatement of the century!
We feel privileged to now have a joint vision for what we are trying to achieve with both Places Leisure and most recently Everyone Active. Support from GLL, Freedom, Serco, David Lloyd and Parkwood to name a few has also been both constructive and integral.
However, what we should not forget nor lose sight of is that for us and many others this is just the start of a journey. The use of technology in swimming pools has been around for 20 plus years with little real advancement nor adoption until recently.
We are “barely out of nappies!”
The pace of our software development since January has been phenomenal with rapid advances every couple of months.
Poolview Ltd is very committed to the use of technology in swimming pools, but not for the sake of technology. The Lifeguard is at the forefront of our minds with any change or improvement we make.
"We can teach lifeguards great detection skills, efficient emergency action plans, practical rescue techniques and high quality CPR. What we can’t teach them is how to be vigilant for long periods in low stimulation environments" (Gary Johnson - Pool Super Vision).
The industry needs developing technology such as Poolview Plus+. We can’t rescue them, if we don’t see them.
We didn’t just waken up in July 1969 and man had suddenly landed on the moon. It took a decade of intensive effort, development and training to get there.
With technology in pools, we have orbited the moon, but we haven’t landed yet!
Directors - Paul Brown, Chris Day and Robin McGloughlin in the new Kinoulton premises.
Delighted to have moved into our our new premises and base in Kinoulton. Our unit is sited in Wolds Farm Business Park and it's from here that we assemble and prepare all our systems for installation. The maintenance and install teams also operate from here and we are "filling up" the space very quickly.
Onwards and upwards - Poolview Safer Swimming Systems #supportinglifeguards
Delighted to be invited to speak in Scotland at the 2018 Swimming Pool Seminar.
Helen Meckiffe and Robin McGloughlin will be covering the use of Drowning Detection systems in Swimming Pools and Improving the Effectiveness of Lifeguard Training.
If you are interested in attending - register your interest on line via the contact page on the Pioneering Pool Solutions website
We frequently get asked to explain what the various types of drowning detection systems are and how they work.
So, to try and help answer – described below are some of the main systems available in the market and their key features. Drowning Detection Systems (DDS) are also referred to as ‘technology driven systems or devices available to help protect swimmers’.
There are 4 general types:
Providing additional essential vision to lifeguards through underwater viewing such as Poolview™
These systems are a passive aid which require the Lifeguard to interact with in a pro-active way as part of their 10:20 scan. This system does not include “automatic drowning detection" software.
Poolview™ - Safer Swimming System
This system tracks swimmer activity and can trigger a sequence and a variety of alarm levels depending on its configuration. Manufacturers include Poolview™, SwimEye™, AngelEye and Poseidon
These software driven detection systems all use “computer intelligence” at the core of their capability.
Poolview Plus™ operates in a different way from the other systems as it is an interactive system, designed for the Lifeguards and First Responders and combines architecture, software, algorithms and methods for triggering an alert before activating a full alarm and in many peoples opinion is the most accurate, robust and dependable system available today.
Poolview Plus™
These detect when wristbands worn by swimmers remain below a certain depth over a pre-determined time e.g. SenTag, BlueFox
Swimmers are monitored via the wristbands which contain sensor and worn at all times in the swimming facility. Sensitive receivers in the pool raises an alarm if a potential drowning is taking place.
SenTag
These are independent and stand alone wearable technology devices – worn by individuals, BlueFox ST1 recognises the depth you are swimming in and measures the time you spending below a certain depth.
Once you exceed the preset duration it will release a balloon with a loud siren to the water surface. This noisy alarm will attract the attention of all people within the vicinity.
No installation of any sort is required e.g. BlueFox ST1
BlueFox ST1
Technology and installation issues have moved forward greatly since the publication of a “Drowning Detection System Briefing Note” by Sport England in 2011 The Leisure Industry is fast accepting that technology not only plays a key role in enhancing swimmer safety, but also supporting flexibility and efficiencies with staffing rotations, swimming pool timetables and systems of work.
By embracing technology, there are opportunities to both increase swimmer safety and manage your lifeguarding resource more efficiently and effectively. This will be recognised and reconciled within each pools bespoke Risk Assessment.
Operators are generally much more open to incorporating technology within their Standard Operating Procedures and fully understand the benefits. Gone are the physical constraints which once proved to be an obstacle, such as moving floors and bulk heads etc.
Robin McGloughlin, Business Development Director at Poolview explains “we have the ability to install Drowning Detection Systems into ANY pool, no matter what shape, finish or size without the need to drain the pool or interfere with normal day to day swimming programmes. Currently around 75% of our installations would be retro-fit i.e. after the pool is filled and open. Rest assured, we will offer and provide the perfect solution for your individual pool, programme, staffing ethos and environment.”
It is preferable to incorporate some infrastructure into the basic building design at an early stage rather than later when costs can very quickly escalate when “variation orders” are made.
Poolview Limited, are recognised as “industry experts” within this field and are in the position to supply the complete range of solutions for any pool, working closely with your management team to ensure seamless integration and support.
For more information visit http://www.poolview.co.uk/ or call +44 (0)77 6874 6789.
By Robin McGloughlin - Business Director
There have been quite a few press articles and social comments circulating over the past few days, following a mother's complaints about one of our Poolview Plus+ Safer Swimming Systems
Part of the grievance was (and I paraphrase here) that “Giving a member of staff a screen and an ability to view people under water was an invasion of privacy, because of the nature of the activity and the clothing worn.”
In response, if I can begin with my “old lifeguard” head on....
When I was first employed as a Lifeguard back in the early 80’s, my first Supervisor was an old chap called Harry Boyle. On my first day he lectured - “every single swimmer that comes out of that changing room door, you memorise them, watch them, follow them with your eyes, count them and make sure that they get back out of the pool and into the changing room safely – that’s your job in a nutshell son!”
Part of a Lifeguards job is to watch you and keep you safe, no matter what shape, size, gender, colour or faith you are!
Lifeguarding is a very responsible job. It can also be incredibly hot and boring. Sometimes it is difficult to concentrate and focus. The consequences of failing to spot someone in difficulty can be devastating in many many and far reaching ways.
Whilst the professionalism and the qualifications available to Lifeguards have improved immeasurably since my time “on the deck”, the “tools” available to assist the Lifeguard with their duties have changed very little (particularly the most ergonomically unfriendly high chair). Despite this, expectations to perform at a higher more vigilant level have increased dramatically!
As one highly trusted industry colleague used to say “if you asked a Managing Director to run a company with just a pencil and a bit of paper today, you would be laughed “out of court” – yet we have expected our Lifeguards to perform with the hypothetical “pencil and paper” and match these ever evolving standards and more complex environments.
That is exactly what has driven me to push the concept of “Blended Lifeguarding”, mixing traditional Lifeguarding with new and ever improving technology. Giving the Lifeguards the assistance they need to try and help prevent a tragedy!
Whilst a lay person may not fully appreciate it, the environment given to Lifeguards in which they are expected to perform their duties is more often that not far from ideal.
Have you ever tried to identify what is going on through water turbulence, glare or sun reflection? These are very real problems Lifeguards encounter every day thanks to the design and build of many swimming pools. The only real way to overcome these problems is to install a technological solution, Or..... you could brick up the windows and only allow 10 swimmers into a pool at any one time… but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t meet the standard of what health and safety folk define as ‘reasonably practicable’.
What we don’t hear about is when one Lifeguard uses his/her bit of Technology to “see” something that they might have, would have or could have been missed. This very interaction may well have stopped a “chain of events” dead in its tracks and life carries on as normal – we will just never know that a tragedy had just been averted.
Drowning Detection and Prevention Technology is here to stay. Drowning in a public pool is NOT a “help me, save me” TV rescue drama. It is silent, quite unremarkable occurrence, often triggered by an unsuspecting medical event, with consequences which are simply deadly. Every assistance we can give to both the Lifeguards and Swimmers can only be a positive.
The camera systems in swimming pools are not security systems. They don’t recognise faces nor number plates, they aren’t analysed by individuals in a dark room – they are simply additional eyes for lifeguards to try and help keep you and your family safer.
When I was a Leisure Centre Manager at the turn of the century, I installed an old video tape underwater camera system. I let people know at reception that they were now entering the “safest” pool in Ireland.
If anyone complained or made an issue, I very politely explained that my Lifeguards were paid to watch them and keep them safe. I further explained that the cameras gave my Lifeguards an un-compromised view of below water swimmer activity and their behaviour, which in turn would reduce the risk of anything untoward occurring. I also stated that all the recorded images could not be accessed by unauthorised staff, it was under lock and key and would only be viewed following an incident and that it would also only be retained for a week.
If they still didn’t like it – I suggested they try swimming somewhere else in a pool that wasn’t just quite as safe!
5 control racks for 5 Poolview Plus+ Systems
Monday morning and we have five Poolview Plus+ control racks sitting ready in our new premises, awaiting collection by the 2nd fix team to collect for our August install programme
From the North East of England to South in the Greater London Area, Poolview Plus+ is introducing "Blended Lifeguarding" to a new generation of Lifeguards.
Every year, several organizations gather their aquatic staff to collectively watch the State of Aquatics broadcast from the USA Where you one of them?
Redwoods had more than 1,000 attendees on the line this year. If you'd like to learn more about the trends that they identified from their aquatic investigations this year, a recording of the broadcast is available below.
Well worth the time to watch..........
Our 2018 State of Aquatics broadcast was meant to serve as a call to action. We have had 10 aquatic events at customers' pools since Memorial Day. Watch our broadcast below to learn more about the 3 trends we have identified so far this year. You will also see security footage of actual drownings. Our panelists this year were Michael Oostman, Aquatic Safety Consulting, Inc. and Tonya Roy, The Redwoods Group.
RESOURCES
After reviewing all of the questions we received during the broadcast, we recognized that aquatics staff are looking for practical strategies and resources to implement at their organization. We have included resources for each of the three trends below.
Lifeguard Positioning: Visibility is Everything
Aquatics Video: Aggressively Scanning
Aquatics Video: Effective Guard Rotations
The Power of One Group-Training DVD
Empowering Your Lifeguards
Sample Lifeguard Empowerment In-Service Training
Victim Recognition: Medical Events & Shallow-water Blackout
Aquatics Video: Singularly Focused
Lifeguard In-Service Training Guide
Aquatic DROP Drills Comprehensive Guide
DROP Drill Instructional Video
Sample Victim Recognition In-service Training
Sample Lifeguard Rotation In-service Training
Sample Corrective Action Form
Spot the Drowning Activity
Aquatics Video: Test. Mark. Protect
Aquatics Video: Test & Mark
Aquatics Video: Protect
Rounding of June with a New Build Poolview Plus+ installation
As June draws to a close, we can reflect back on one of our busiest months in the history of Poolview Limited.
Starting the month in Scotland, moving down to Norfolk and then across to London, today sees the completion of a Poolview Plus+ new build project in the heart of the UK's capital city.
Finding ourselves a few days ahead of schedule, our first fix team will move across to another London site this evening to begin the sixth new site of the month, preparing the ground for the second fix and subsequent commissioning teams and another Poolview Plus+ installation.
Poolview Limited, developing "Blended Lifeguarding" across the UK and beyond!
#thisisnotagame #blendedlifeguarding #partnershipworking #supportinglifeguards
Robin McGloughlin - Poolview Business Director & Tor Petter Johansen - CEO SwimEye
Our Business Partners SwimEye visited the UK in late May and their CEO Tor Petter Johansen wrote this article for their company website - exciting times and kind words indeed from him. The strength of our partnership has been key to the product development and this is now certainly producing strong results of which we are all very proud!
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2018 has been a great year for SwimEye. Sales figures have recently broken all previous records. Much of this is attributed to the partnership between SwimEye and their United Kingdom (UK) partner, Poolview Ltd.
SwimEye Scan is a customized version of SwimEye, developed in collaboration with Poolview’s original system architecture. It has been specifically developed for the UK market and a product called Poolview Plus+.
The result is a small screen lifeguard interface that provides underwater vision, object detection, alerts and advanced features, directly poolside to lifeguards. It can also be fixed to any existing lifeguard tower, chair or podium.
Blending digital technology with traditional lifeguarding
Poolview Plus+ embraces a concept that Poolview has entitled “Blended Lifeguarding”.
“With Blended Lifeguarding, we offer digital technology to pool lifeguards, in a way that perfectly complements traditional lifeguarding methods,” says Robin McGloughlin – Poolview, Business Director.
“After first launching Poolview Plus+ in 2017, the market feedback has been very positive. Our order book takes us to April 2019,” continued Robin. “Although we are busy, the most important thing for Poolview is maintaining outstanding client relationships and delivering quality after-sales service,” he concludes.
SwimEye and Poolview positive about further growth
SwimEye has been focused on the UK market for several years now and Tor Petter Johansen – SwimEye, Chief Executive Officer, could not be happier with recent results.
“We have been visiting the UK for some time. It is a large market and very important to us, given the close proximity to our home in Norway. Recent sales growth has been excellent and we are very positive about the future of the UK market,” he said.
“Much of this is to be credited to our strong partnership relationship with Poolview and the development of SwimEye Scan for their Poolview Plus+ product,” he said.
“The development of Poolview Plus+ demonstrates that Poolview really understands the swimming pool sector. They also have a great business sense and a ‘nose’ for finding new opportunities. The installation of Poolview Plus+ into the UK hotel sector, is one excellent example of their capabilities,”says Tor.
“SwimEye is both excited and humbled to partner with Poolview. Poolview has an excellent understanding of SwimEye and our ability to customize the SwimEye technology to suit different security applications,” concludes Tor.
Breaking previous sales records
SwimEye expects to install 40+ new SwimEye Scan systems (in conjunction with Poolview) by the end of 2018. This is an average of one new project completed every week, for the rest of the year.
Since launching the product with Poolview, feedback has been excellent. Many customers have now successfully tested and adopted the technology. For customers with multiple aquatic facilities, they are now confidently ordering additional systems in order to improve the security and safety of their wider portfolio.
SwimEye expects to double sales of SwimEye Scan again in 2019, adjusting sales projections to 300 SwimEye installations in the UK by 2021. During the same year, SwimEye expects to exceed a total of 500 installations – a target milestone for the company.
Great to be back in Central London for the first of our four Poolview Plus+ Installations in June, before moving out to Buckinghamshire in July.
Busy times ahead for our 1st and 2nd fix teams who will be playing "tag" around London over the next few weeks.
Poolview Plus+ - bringing "Blended Lifeguarding" to the UK's capital
#thisisnotagame #blendedlifeguarding #supportinglifeguards
It may well be Bank Holiday Monday but no rest for our industrious install team as they arrive on site in Scotland for a few days of commissioning at this prestigious leisure facility.
No time to relax however as it is then down to London to start a 6 week block of Poolview Plus+ installations in the UK capital before we take a short break to re-group.
Poolview Limited - bringing technology and "Blended Lifeguarding" to swimming pools around the country.
#thisisnotagame #supportinglifeguards
Tor Petter Johansen, Helen Dixon and Robin McGloughlin
On the day our team were commissioning another Poolview Plus+ installation in the North East, Director Robin McGloughlin welcomed our Davo Business Partner MD, Tor Petter Johansen from Norway and Helen Meckiffe, Lifeguard Industry Expert to one of our early installations.
Spending most of the day on site observing how "Blended Lifeguarding" works in practice, testing the system and discussing ways to keep the process of continuous improvement moving, it proved to be a very worthwhile and productive day!
Poolview Plus+ Technology for Lifeguards #thisisnotagame
Neil Cowdrey, Robin McGloughlin and Neil Blackaller at the Poolview Plus+ switch on
On site on a Monday morning in the West Midlands (UK) handing over our latest Poolview Plus+ "Blended Lifeguarding" system.
Our Intelligent Drowning Detection Technology is firmly aimed at being the Lifeguards "wing man" and best friend whilst on pool duty.
Our Technology #thisisnotagame #supportinglifeguards #partnershipworking
Poolview Plus+ Drowning Detection System in the North East of England
Two pools and two install teams providing "Blended Lifeguarding" in the North East of England this week, before we push north into Scotland next week.
Poolview Plus+ is our Computer Intelligent System for then Detection of Drowning Accidents and Incidents in Swimming Pools. Providing Lifeguards with much needed support in their difficult role.
With a further 12 Poolview Plus+ Systems to install (in this block) between now and September, Poolview Limited have become well established as the UK's leading provider of Drowning Detection Technology
Robin McGloughlin, Emma, Chris Day, Paul Brown, Craig Valentine and Steven Grainger at Poolview Plus+ commissioning
We are delighted to announce that we have installed and commissioned our first Poolview Plus+ Computer Intelligent Drowning Detection System for Warner Leisure Hotels and Bourne Leisure Limited at their Cricket St Thomas hotel.
The scene of much of the famous TV comedy, To The Manor Born, Cricket St. Thomas was also frequently visited by Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. This classic country house is set in splendid parkland, with colourful gardens, lakes, and a unique woodland area. The hotel provides extensive entertainment, including nightly live performances, and excellent dining venues, including The Granary which is set in a pretty walled garden.
Making swimming safer for Warner Leisure Hotels
Robin McGloughlin, Andrew English and Wally Wallis
On site Monday night just after the last swimmer left the pool.
Andy and Wally, checking RAMS, install instructions and first fix routes before commencing the latest Poolview Plus+ computer intelligent system for the detection of possible drowning incidents in swimming pools.
All set for second fix team by Thursday and on to the next install.
Bringing Blended Lifeguarding to the fore!
Poolview Plus+ - Blended Lifeguarding
Hard to believe that it has only been 12 months since we won the "Best Facility Innovation" award for our Poolview Plus+ Computer Intelligent System for the Detection of Drowning Incidents at Elevate the UK's largest fitness & physical activity trade show.
At the time of our Poolview Plus+launch last May we had not installed a single computer driven drowning detection system in the UK. Indeed it was not until December 2017 that our first project was completed in central London at a prestigious private members club who had the foresight to see the many benefits for their staff, members and brand.
In the past 12 months we have pushed, educated and encouraged our concept of Blended Lifeguarding, combining traditional methods of Lifeguarding and Technology to support Lifeguards in their role.
January saw a series of four Poolview Plus+ installations in quick succession and this week we will be commissioning our ninth Poolview Plus+ installation of 2018.
Last week was one of those weeks you can only often dream about. Not only have we finalised plans for the installation of five Poolview Standard Systems, but also received an order for twelve Poolview Plus+ Drowning Detection Systems to be commissioned before the end of September!
One top of that, we secured Poolview Plus+ in five new-build projects!It
Exciting and interesting times ahead I am sure as we focus our efforts on supporting Lifeguards and reducing the instances of near misses or drowning incidents in our swimming pools
If you missed our Poolview Plus+ video - here it is again
