'Lifeguard Shortage To Hit City's Swimming Pools'

Even as the city is under the grip of a heatwave, swimming pool operations maybe curtailed due to a shortage of lifeguards, warn unions.

According to them, one-third of public pools in Hong Kong had some of their facilities closed for 10 days or more in recent weeks.

The Government Lifeguards General Union and the Kowloon Lifeguards' Union say Hong Kong is facing a shortage of about 300 to 400 lifeguards, which poses a threat to the safety of swimmers who will look to pools and beaches to cool off.

Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Ho Kai-ming said the shortage is putting pressure on lifeguards who are made to work overtime. Some lifeguards clock in 13 consecutive days of work and this might affect the quality of their work, the unions say.

Ho said one of the reasons for the lack of enough lifeguards is that most of the positions on offer are seasonal contracts.

"Seasonal lifeguards do not have a stable career all year long. Therefore many people would not like to join the seasonal lifeguards," he said.

"We think the government should provide more long-term positions for people to apply to provide a stable career for people to join the lifeguards."

The unions also demanded the government set up an academy to provide standardised training for lifeguards. They said the idea was supported by 93 percent of over 520 government lifeguards they surveyed.

Currently, lifeguards receive lifesaving and first-aid training at the Hong Kong Life Saving Society and various NGOs. But the unions said there's been a lack of guidelines and standardised procedures when it comes to rescuing lives.