Glossary of Lifesaving and Water Safety
This page has a comprehensive glossary of professional lifeguards, lifesaving, and water safety. Other glossaries on this website include the First Aid/CPR glossary and the Swimming/Water Safety Instructor glossary.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- abandonment
- Abruptly ending the assessment and care of an ill or injured patient without stabilizing the patient or being relieved by someone of equal or greater training.
- active drowning victim
- A person exhibiting the instinctive drowning response, universal behavior that includes struggling at the surface in a vertical position and being unable to move forward or tread water.
- AIDS
- An acronym for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition in humans, caused by HIV, in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive.
- aquatic environment
- Any natural body of water or artificial basin or tank of water suitable for swimming, diving, or recreational water activities.
- aquatic safety team
- A network of lifeguard co-workers and other staff combined with emergency medical services (EMS) personnel who work together to respond to emergencies that take place at an aquatic facility.
- area of responsibility
- The zone or area in which a lifeguard conducts surveillance.
- articulation
- A joint or juncture between bones or cartilages in the skeleton of a vertebrate.
- ashen
- A grayish color; the equivalent to pale for patients with darker skin.
- assess
- To examine a situation carefully.
- asthma
- A condition that narrows the air passages, making it difficult for a patient to breathe.
- automated external defibrillator
- A battery-powered, electronic device used to assess an unconscious patient’s heart condition and, if an abnormal heart rhythm is detected, to deliver a shock to convert the abnormal rhythm to normal sinus rhythm.
B
- backboard
- A long, rigid, rectangular board, constructed of wood or plastic with straps, hand holds, and a head immobilizer, used to secure a patient with a head, spinal, pelvic, or femoral injury so the patient can be transported without futher injury. The patient is strapped on the backboard in supine position from shoulder to legs, and then the patient’s head is secured using the head immobilizer and a head strap across the forehead. Once the patient is completely secured on the backboard, the patient can be moved (e.g., from the water to the deck, dock, or shore).
- bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator
- A handheld breathing device, consisting of a self-inflating bag, a one-way valve, and a resuscitation mask, used to administer supplemental oxygen to a breathing patient or ventilations with or without oxygen (by squeezing the bag) to a nonbreathing patient.
- blind spot
- A portion of a lifeguard’s area of responsibility that cannot be seen due to an obstruction, glare, shadows or poor lighting, refraction of light created by water and ripples at the surface, etc.
- blood-borne pathogen
- A bacterium or virus present in blood and capable of causing disease in humans through direct and indirect contact.
- blood-borne pathogens standard
- A federal regulation designed to protect employees from on-the-job exposure to blood or other body fluids that may contain pathogens.
- body substance isolation precautions
- An approach to infection control that considers all body fluids as potentially infectious.
- buddy board
- A safety system consisting of a board mounted at the entrance/exit of a camp swimming pool or waterfront with numbered tags on hooks assigned to all participants. When campers enter the area, they move their assigned tag from Out to In; when they exit, they move their tag from In to Out. An attendant at the entry/exit point ensures that tags are moved accordingly. If a child is unaccounted for, the buddy board can be used to determine if the child was lost in the swimming area.
- bulkhead/dt>
- A structure that extends across the width of a swimming pool to divide the pool into sections and to provide a walkway for lifeguards, aquatic program coaches/instructors, and sport officials.
- buoy
- A floating object in a bay, lake, ocean, or river moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (as a shoal) lying under the water.
- buoyancy
- The upward force exerted by water or other fluid on a body immersed in the fluid. The buoyancy applied to an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
- buoyant
- The characteristic of an object that tends to float in water or other fluid.
- bystander
- A person at the scene of an emergency that has no duty to respond or provide care.
C
- carbon dioxide
- A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by humans and animals as a waste product of respiration.
- carbon monoxide
- A deadly, colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by internal combustion engines and the incomplete burning of various fuels, including charcoal, coal, kerosene, oil, wood, etc. To read more about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, go to the CPSC’s Carbon Monoxide page.
- cardiac arrest
- A condition in which the patient’s heart stops or beats too ineffectively to generate a pulse.
- catch pool
- A small pool at the bottom of a water slide used to cushion the landing of participants coming out of the slide.
- chain of command
- The hierarchical structure of employee and management positions within an organization.
- consent
- Permission to provide care given to a rescuer by a patient or a minor patient’s guardian.
- critical incident
- An emergency or disaster that causes rescuers, victims, and bystanders to witness death, severe injury, devastation, or other tragic results.
- critical incident stress
- The physical and psychological response to a tragic event, usually lasting between two days and about four weeks. The signs and symptoms of critical incident stress can be physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral. For example, individuals may experience fatigue, chills, headaches, dizziness, confusion, nightmares, poor concentration, grief, fear, anger, chronic anxiety, inability to rest, antisocial behavior, increased alcohol consumption, loss/increase in appetite, etc.
- cross bearings
- A technique for determining the position of a submerged victim performed by two rescuers who each take a sighting from different points along the shore so that the sightings cross at the point the victim went underwater.
- current
- A channel of fast-moving water.
- cyanosis
- A bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen in the blood.
D
- daily log
- A written journal kept by the management and lifeguards of an aquatics facility, consisting of a daily account of program attendance, safety precautions taken, maintenance tasks performed, rescues and incidents, and other significant events.
- deep-water line search
- A search pattern performed by swimming rescuers looking for a submerged victim in an area of murky, deep water. To perform the search, rescuers line up, perform a surface dive to a position near the bottom, swim a predetermined number of body length while searching the bottom and the water around them, and then surface. At the surface, the rescuers line up again with the rescuer who is farthest back, move back at the surface a few more feet, and then surface dive again to continue the search. This search pattern is continued until the entire area has been searched.
- defibrillation
- An electrical shock delivered by an automated external defibrillator (AED) to disrupt the abnormal electrical activity of a heart in ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (V-tach) long enough to allow the heart to spontaneously develop an effective rhythm on its own.
- direct contact transmission
- The transmission of disease-causing pathogens in the blood or other body fluids of an infected person through physical contact.
- disability
- The loss, absence, or impairment of sensory, physical, mental, or emotional functioning.
- disorientation
- A state of confusion or lack of awareness about one’s identity, location, or activity/purpose.
- dock
- A wooden pier at a waterfront used for launching boats, embarking/disembarking passengers, fishing, and other activities.
- droplet transmission
- The spread of disease-causing pathogens by inhalation of body fluids (i.e., saliva, mucus, etc.) coughed or sneezed into the air from an infected person.
- drop-off slide
- A water slide that ends several feet above a deep-water catch pool so sliders feel a sense of falling before they land in the water.
- drowning
- The process of respiratory impairment that occurs as the result of prolonged submersion/immersion in liquid. Drowning victims can fully recover; survive with complications, such as severe respiratory problems; or suffer permanent brain damage or death.
- drug
- A substance other than food with medicinal, mood altering, intoxicating, performance enhancing, or other effects when taken or put into the body. Drugs can be abused or misused.
- duty to act
- A legal responsibility, usually defined by job description or statute, to provide care or take other action in an emergency.
E
- elevated lifeguard station
- A raised chair, stand, or tower near the edge of the water used by a lifeguard to scan the swimming area of a beach, pool, waterfront, or water park. Elevated stations provide a better, less refracted view of people or objects in the water, including people or objects at the surface, under the water, and on the bottom.
- emergency
- A situation that poses an immediate threat to the health, safety, property, or the environment.
- emergency action plan (EAP)
- A written description of roles, actions, and resources used to respond to an emergency.
- emergency back-up coverage
- Surveillance by lifeguards during an emergency rescue designed to cover the entire facility/swimming area, including the area(s) vacated by the responding lifeguard(s).
F
- facility layout
- A simple map of a building or swimming pool that displays the location of first aid equipment, fire alarm boxes, fire extinguishers, automated external defibrillators, locker rooms/bathrooms, exits, evacuation routes, etc.
- facility management
- The individual or group responsible for the daily operation and maintenance of a facility, such as a swimming pool or sports complex. Facility managers of swimming pools include aquatic directors/coordinators and pool managers.
- facility-related emergency
- An incident (e.g., a bomb threat, civil disturbance, earthquake, fire, power failure, etc.) affecting the safe operation of the amenities, equipment, or resources of a swimming pool or other recreational, commercial or institutional center. Facility-related emergencies often require evacuation.
G
- gasp reflex
- An involuntary inhalation induced by sudden immersion in cold water.
H
- heart attack
- A serious medical condition in which blood stops flowing to a part of the heart, and the heart becomes damaged due to insufficient oxygen.
- heat cramps
- Painful, involuntary muscle spasms of the abdomen, arms, or legs caused by the loss of fluids and salts from the body due to exercise or work in a hot, humid environment.
- heat exhaustion
- A common heat-related injury characterized by pale, cool skin; weakness; and fatigue.
- heat stroke
- A severe heat-related emergency characterized by hot, dry, red skin; lowering level of consciousness; and vomiting.
- hemostatic agent
- A substance that helps to stop bleeding by assisting in the clotting process.
- hepatitis
- A medical condition characterized by inflammation of the liver. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
- HIV
- An abbreviation for the human immunodeficiency virus, a lentivirus that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- hull
- The watertight body of a ship or boat.
- hydraulic water current
- A dangerous, recirculating current created when water passes over a dam or waterfall with enough force to create a backflow into the falling water. Swimmers and boaters can become trapped in this backflow.
- hyperventilation
- Rapid, deep, excessive breathing. This is a dangerous technique used by swimmers who try to swim long distances underwater by increasing the amount of oxygen in their system.
- hypoxia
- A condition in which the body, or a region of the body, is deprived of adequate oxygen.
I
- immobilize
- To prevent the movement of an injured body part by using a splint or bandage.
- implied consent
- A legal concept that assumes a patient (or the parent/guardian of a minor patient) would give consent to receive medical care if physically able to do so.
- incident
- An event that interrupts the normal flow of activities and/or results in an emergency.
- incident report
- A document that describes an emergency, including the names of victims, witnesses, and responders; the type of emergency; the date and time of the emergency; the care provided; and the final disposition of victims.
- indirect contact
- A type of disease transmission that can occur when a person comes in contact with infected blood or other body fluids on discarded bandages or contaminated surfaces or objects.
- inhaled poison
- A toxic gas or fumes breathed into the lungs.
- injury
- Physical harm caused by an external force.
- in-line stabilization
- A technique for minimizing the movement of a patient’s head, neck, and back by holding the head in line with the body.
- in-service training
- Regularly scheduled staff meetings and practice sessions.
- instinctive drowning response
- Behaviors commonly exhibited by active drowning victims, including vertical position with head back, thrashing arms, ineffective or nonexistent kicking, wide eyes and fearful facial expression, and inability to call out or wave for help.
J
- jaundice
- A yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes caused by hepatitis, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gallstones, etc.
- joint
- A structure where two or more bones are joined together by connective tissue called ligaments. Also known as an articulation.
K
- kapok
- Silky fibers that invest the seeds of the ceiba tree and are used as filler for life jackets, mattresses, pillows, etc.
L
- laceration
- A cut.
- laryngospasm
- An involuntary muscular contraction of the vocal cords that occurs when water, mucus, blood, or other substance enters the trachea.
- life jacket
- A personal flotation device (PFD) approved by the United States Coast Guard or equivalent agency for use while boating or participating in other activities in, on, and around the water.
- lifeguard
- An individual trained in surveillance, injury prevention, water rescues, first aid, and CPR, whose job it is to supervise an aquatic facility or environment so that the public is safeguarded.
- lifeguard competition
- A series of swimming, water rescue, first aid, and CPR contests performed by competing lifeguard team to test their knowledge and skills.
- lifeguard team
- Two or more lifeguards who work or compete together.
- ligament
- A tough, fibrous connective tissue that holds bones together at a joint.
- littoral current
- Another name for longshore current.
- longshore current
- An ocean current that runs roughly parallel to shore.
M
- material safety data sheet (MSDS)
- A document that provides physical data about a substance as well as information and procedures for its safe handling.
- mechanical airway obstruction
- A partial or complete blockage of a patient’s airway by a foreign object, such as food, small objects, or fluids.
- muscle
- Body tissue that contracts and expands to produce force and motion.
- myocardial infarction
- A heart attack.
N
- nasal cannula
- A device for delivering supplemental oxygen to a breathing patient, consisting of a lightweight tube that splits in two at one end so it can be wrapped around each ear and placed under the nose with two prongs inserted in the nostrils. The nasal cannula should be set to deliver oxygen at a rate of 1 to 5 liters per minute (LPM).
- near drowning
- A term used to describe a submersion victim who recovers.
- negligence
- The failure to act or to follow an appropriate standard of care, thereby causing, or contributing to, a patient’s injuries or loss.
- nonrebreather mask
- A device used to deliver a high concentration of oxygen (10 to 15 liters per minute) to a breathing patient.
O
- o-ring gasket
- A mechanical seal used when connecting a regulator to an oxygen tank.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- A governmental agency in the United States (part of the U.S. Department of Labor) that establishes regulations and guidelines to help protect employees in the workplace. In addition to the federal agency, 22 states have OSHA programs.
- open wound
- An injury to the soft tissue that results in a break in the skin and bleeding.
- opportunistic infection
- An infection that strikes people whose immune system is weakened by HIV or other infection.
- oxygen
- An odorless, colorless, tasteless gas necessary to sustain human life.
- oxygen delivery device
- Equipment used to supply oxygen to a patient with a breathing emergency.
P
- paralysis
- A loss of feeling, movement, and muscular control due to illness or injury.
- partial thickness burn
- A burn affecting the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin, resulting in pain, reddness and blisters. Also called a second-degree burn.
- passive drowning victim
- An unconscious drowning victim at the surface of the water or submerged.
- pathogen
- A disease-causing microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, etc.
- peripheral vision
- Side vision. Also, the ability to detect movement and objects outside of the direct line of vision.
- personal flotation device (PFD)
- A life jacket, ring buoy, or seat cushion approved by the United States Coast Guard or equivalent agency for use in boating and other water recreational activities.
- pier
- A raised structure forming a walkway extending out over the water, supported by piles or pillars. Also called a dock.
- poison
- Any substance that causes illness, injury, or death when introduced into the body. Poisons can be ingested, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes.
- Poison Control Center
- A call center with information about poisoning and how to care for poisoning emergencies.
- preventive lifeguarding
- Methods and techniques used by lifeguards to identify hazardous conditions and practices in their area of responsibility and take the necessary steps to eliminate them.
- primary responsibility
- Any of the main duties of a lifeguard including preventing injuries, rescuing distressed and drowning victims, and administering first aid.
- professional rescuer
- A person with a job-related duty to rescue victims and provide first aid and CPR.
- public address (PA) system
- An electronic amplification system for making announcements.
- puncture
- An open, soft-tissue wound caused by a piercing object.
Q
- quadrupedia
- Paralysis of both arms and legs.
R
- rapids ride
- A rough-water attraction at a waterpark that simulates white-water rafting.
- reaching assist
- A nonswimming rescue performed from the edge of the water by extending an arm, leg, or object to a nearby distressed or drowning victim.
- reaching pole
- An aluminum or fiberglass pole used to perform reaching assists.
- refusal of care
- A patient’s legal right to decline first aid or more advanced medical treatment. When a patient refuses care, the lifeguard should accept this refusal only after he or she has clearly identified himself/herself and encouraged the patient to accept help. The lifeguard should also try to determine the reason for the refusal so he or she can attempt to allay fears or change circumstances. Any persistent refusal of care by a patient should be witnessed and documented. If possible, the patient should be asked to sign a release.
- regulation
- A rule or order issued by an executive authority or a government agency and having the force of law.
- rehabilitation
- Supervised, managed recovery after a serious illness or injury that may involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and treatment for pain.
- reliable
- Dependable and worthy of trust.
- rescue board
- A plastic or fiberglass board, shaped like a surf board, used to perform rescues at a beach or waterfront.
- rescue breathing
- A technique of opening the airway and giving ventilations to an unconscious, nonbreathing patient with a definite pulse.
- rescue tube
- A 45- to 54-inch foam-filled tube with towline and shoulder strap worn by lifeguards and used to perform swimming rescues.
- respiratory arrest
- A condition in which breathing has stopped.
- respiratory distress
- Breathing difficulty.
- responsibility
- A duty or obligation that has been accepted or that is part of one’s job. Lifeguard responsibilities are often considered primary or secondary depending on their importance. Typical primary responsibilities for a lifeguard include providing surveillance of the public in and around the swimming area, recognizing distressed and drowning victims and making rescues, providing first aid/CPR if necessary, and assisting other lifeguards in carrying out these primary duties. All other lifeguard responsibilities (e.g., teaching swimming lessons, completing records and reports, performing maintenance duties, participating in training exercises, etc.) are considered secondary. Secondary duties must never interfere with the completion of any primary responsibility.
- resuscitation mask
- A flexible device consisting of a clear, pliable dome-shaped mask and a one-way valve that can be sealed over a patient’s mouth and nose so a rescuer can deliver rescue breaths to the patient without making mouth-to-mouth contact.
- RID factor
- A term coined by Frank Pia to remind aquatic safety personnel why drownings can occur at swimming facilities with lifeguards on duty. RID is an acronym that stands for failure to recognize the victim, the intrusion of secondary duties that interfere with surveillance and rescue, and distraction that occurs when the lifeguard turns his or her attention to factors other than his or her primary responsibilities.
- ring buoy
- A buoyant ring about 20 to 30 inches in diameter with an attached line that is thrown to a victim in the water so the rescuer can pull the victim to safety.
- rip current
- A strong, narrow channel of fast-moving water flowing seaward from the shore or beach.
- risk management
- The task of identifying and eliminating or minimizing dangerous conditions that can cause injuries and financial loss.
- rotary kick
- Another name for the eggbeater kick. The rotary kick is performed in deep water from a vertical position with knees bent and spread apart by rotating each ankle in alternating circles with feet flexed while pumping the knees up and down slightly. The rotary kick is very useful for treading water, making lifeguarding rescues, performing synchronized swimming, and playing water polo.
- rotation
- The coordinated, periodic movement of lifeguards from one station to another as a way of providing variety during surveillance and rest as lifeguards rotate from a surveillance station to a break.
- rule
- A prescribed guideline for conduct in a particular environment or facility or while involved in a particular activity.
S
- safety
- The state or condition of being protected from physical harm.
- safety check
- An inspection of the facility to find and minimize hazards.
- sand
- Loose, granular material that results from the disintegration of rocks and consists of particles smaller than gravel but coarser than silt. Clean, processed sand is used as a medium for swimming pool filters.
- sand filter
- A large device containing sand (i.e., quartz, silica, or zeolites) through which swimming pool water is passed to remove suspended particles. As water flows from the top of the filter to the bottom, particles of dirt and other solids are trapped by the sand so that cleaner water flows from the base of the filter and back into the swimming pool.
- sanitize
- To make clean and free from threats to health.
- scale
- The buildup of calcium carbonate on swimming pool surfaces and plumbing.
- scanning
- A surveillance technique consisting of broad visual sweeps of a lifeguard’s area of responsibility to properly observe and monitor participants involved in water activities.
- scum
- A filmy layer of extraneous or impure matter the forms on the surface of the water or clings to the tiles or walls of a swimming pool.
- secondary responsibility
- Any of the other duties a lifeguard must perform, such as testing the pool water chemistry, assisting patrons, performing maintenance, completing records and reports, or performing opening duties, closing duties, or facility safety checks. Secondary
responsibilities should never interfere with a lifeguard’s primary responsibility. - sediment
- Solid material that precipitates out of the water and settles to the bottom of the pool.
- seiche
- A standing wave in a closed or partially closed body of water.
- seizure
- A disorder in the brain’s electrical
activity, marked by loss of consciousness and often by convulsions. - shallow-water blackout
- Loss of consciousness while underwater swimming in water less than 16 feet deep, often due to hyperventilation and prolonged submersion resulting in cerebral hypoxia.
- shepherd’s crook
- A reaching pole with a large, blunt hook
on the end. - shock
- A life-threatening condition in which the circulatory system fails to deliver blood to all parts of the body, causing body organs to fail.
- shocking the water
- Superchlorination.
- sighting
- A technique for noting where a submerged victim was last seen, performed by imagining a line to the opposite shore and estimating the victim’s position along that line.
- soft tissue
- Body structures that include the layers of skin, fat and muscles.
- spa
- A small pool or tub with rapidly circulating hot water.
- spasm
- An involuntary muscle contraction.
- speed slide
- A steep water slide on which patrons may reach speeds in excess of 35 mph.
- spinal cord
- A bundle of nerves extending from the base of the skull to the lower back and protected by the spinal column.
- sprain
- The stretching and tearing of ligaments and other tissue structures at a joint.
- standard of care
- The minimal standard and quality of care expected of an emergency care provider.
- standard precautions
- Safety measures, such as body substance isolation, taken to prevent occupational-risk exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, such as body fluids containing visible blood.
T
U
V
- vector-borne transmission
- The spread of a disease through an animal or insect bite.
- ventricles
- The two lower chambers of the heart.
- ventricular fibrillation
- An abnormal heart rhythm characterized by disorganized electrical activity that causes the heart muscle to stop beating and quiver.
- ventricular tachycardia
- An abnormal heart rhythm characterized by rapid contractions of the ventricles that do not produce a pulse.
W
- waterfront
- An open water area such as a beach, lake, pond, or river.
- waterpark
- An aquatic theme park with attractions such as water slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers.
- wheezing
- A hoarse whistling sound during inhalation or exhalation, often indicative of breathing difficulty.
- work practice
- A means of accomplishing a task while on duty.
- work practice control
- A written description of a work practice designed to standardize a procedure to ensure safety or effectiveness.
- wound
- An injury to the soft tissue of the body.
X
- xiphoid process
- A small extension of cartilage at the base of the breastbone.
Y
Z
- zone
- A section of the water, deck, dock, and/or shoreline associated with a lifeguard station, designed to divide the total area supervised by each lifeguard into manageable units.
- zone coverage
- A lifeguard surveillance strategy in which the entire area to safeguard is divided into sections called zones that overlap slightly, each zone with its own lifeguard.
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