MSU-ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NSTP COMMON MODULE

MODULE-WATER SAFETY
Compiled by: Samuel A. Villaver

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

A) Perform the following swimming and survival skills such as:
Seven (7) Levels of water skills competency
1. Water Entries and Exits
2. Sculling and Body Orientation
3. Underwater Skills
4. Survival Strategies and Techniques
5. Survival and PFD Skills
6. Swimming and Lifesaving Strokes
7. None contact Rescue Techniques
B) Use of different life saving equipment & materials, such as:
1. Rescue Tube
2. Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
3. Line Throw

INTRODUCTION

Water activities can offer fun and enjoyment for all ages. It is important, however, to
learn to respect the aquatic environment (AE). We need to be aware of the rules and behavior
of around water as well as the dangers that are ever present in this environment, to ensure that
those around you are safe in, on or around the water. This also includes knowing how to offer
help if an emergency occurs.
Safety can be considered as, a concern for yourself, a concern for others, awareness of
dangers, minimizing risk, preventing aquatic incidents, and knowing when and how to act in an
emergency.

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EMERGENCY PREVENTION
The prevention of emergencies depends on your understanding of, and ability to apply,
simple commonsense water safety measure. To help you do this, we have to adopt the three
easy-to-remember rules developed by The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA) known
as AQUACODE.
 Go together- when playing in, on or near water always make sure someone is with you.
 Stay afloat - if you are in water, try to relax, roll on your back, hold onto something if
available, and wave one arm to attract attention.
 Reach to rescue- if someone needs help, do not get into the water. Lie down and reach
out with a stick or throw a rope. RLSSA,Swimming&Lifesaving V.2,P10
Getting Ready:
To ensure that the time spent in, on or around the water is safe and enjoyable, there are a
number of items that the people should consider preparing and taking to the water with them.
These are the following:
1. Appropriate Clothing- best suit in different kind of aquatic environment
2. Sun Protection- to protect our skin against the heat of the sun(recommended sun-
protection-factor is 40+)
3. Fluids- to avoid dehydration while in swimming
4. Mobile Phone-to call for an access of any emergency assistance(Ibid page12)

(A1) ENTRY AND EXITS- This skill strand aims to teach a variety of entries and exits for a range of
different aquatic environments to enable the student to determine the safest method. The
following methods are these:
A1.1 Wade Entry
If: The water is shallow and the conditions are unknown. This entry is controlled and
safe, allowing the feet aid to feel for unseen obstacles below the surface.
A1.2 Slide Entry
If: The depth of the water and state of the bottom are unknown, this entry is controlled
and safe, allowing the feet to feel for unseen obstacles below the surface.
How:  Establish a firm body position either sitting down or lying on the front with
the feet in the water.
 Feel with the feet for unseen obstacles.
 Lower the body gently, taking the weight on the hands.
 turn the head to the side to protect the face from the edge during the
entry
A1.3 Step In

If: The water is clear, the depth known and the bottom free from obstacles. This entry
is most appropriate for areas where the entry point is not much higher than the water
level.
How:  Look at the point of entry.
 Step (not jump) out from the edge.
 Keep the knees slightly flexed and leg ready to give when the feet touch
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the bottom (the technique is similar to that required for stepping from a |2
chair onto the floor).
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A1.4 Compact Jump

If: An entry is required from a height of more than one meter into known deep water. A
feet first entry is safer than a head first entry, especially when the water has debris
floating on it. This entry is primarily used in an emergency whenever you are aboard in a
ship.
A1.5 Exits
Carefully asses the area to locate the safest place o exit the water, look for designated
exit areas such as stairs, a ladder or an area with a safe , gradual incline. Be aware of
potential dangers such as waves, rock or uneven bottom.
A1.6 Deep water Exits
If: An Exit from deep water is required.
How:  Place both hands, palms down, on the edge.
 Extend arms to raise the body as high as possible to clear the water. Briefly
submerging and kicking with the feet help to get as possible out of the water.
 Lean forward, place one foot or knee over the edge and step out.(Ibid.p34-38)

(A2) Sculling and Body Orientation- Sculling is the basis of all strokes and many other water
safety skills. This strand enables the learner to gain mobility prior to learning swimming and
survival strokes and develop body orientation through experiencing a variety of positions in the
water. Everyone must learn these following steps:

A2.1 Front Float-shallow water

 Lie on the front with the body extended.
 Keep the head, shoulders, buttocks and heels at the surface.
 Keep legs straight, feet together and toes pointed.
 Position arms where they are most comfortable.
 Use stationary sculling to maintain this position.
A2.2 Back Float
 Lie on back with the body extended.
 Keep the head in line with the body.
 Keep head, chest, thighs and feet at the surface.
 Keep legs straight, feet together and toes pointed.
 Position arms where they are most comfortable.
 To maintain this position, use stationary sculling.
A2.3 Turtle Float

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 Lie on front while holding your knees together (body- tuck) with your hands.
 Hold your breath until your back float in line with the water surface.

(A3) Underwater Skills- Gaining underwater skills is vital in building confidence and competence
in the water and can lead to the development of more complex skills. This strand aims to
provide the student with skills that may enable them to escape from dangers or search for a
submerged object or person in difficulty. These skills can be use in the following conditions such
as escaping from fire, oil, or debris on the surface of the water; and searching for an object or
person. These skills are escaping and searching.

A3.1For escaping-A modified breaststroke may be performed as follows:

 Slowly with a long glide after the pull and a short pause after the kick
 Add an element of downward propulsion to the arm action to keep the body submerged
 Lengthen the pull so that the hands push past the hips
 Recover the arm close to the body as the legs kick
 Keep the chin towards the chest to help maintain depth
 Surface before running short of breath
 Turn on your back and look potential dangers when surfing
A3.2For Searching
 Used a modified breaststroke action or freestyle kick
 Fins for a free style kick greatly improve efficiency and make an arm action unnecessary
 The arms may be extended beyond the head to guard against submerged obstructions
 One hand can be used for searching. Leaving the other out in front

(A4) Survival Strategies and Techniques- Swimmers in survival situations should remain calm.
Do not panic. Effective survival strategy will be determined by the situation. There are various
strategies and techniques which may be used. Once strategy has been decided, continue to
assess the situation and be prepared to change plans when conditions change. These
considerations are:
 Winds, currents or tide strength
 Distance from safety
 Ability to swim to safety
 The weather and water condition
 Whether a craft will remain floating
 The clothing being worn
 Whether to remove heavy clothing and
 Air and water temperature

(A5) Survival and PFD Skills- This skill strand focuses on gaining knowledge of a range of
survival strategies and techniques, understanding the risk involved in specific environments,
developing judgment skills in emergency situations and performing personal survival skills.

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 Putting on a PFD in the water

1. Place the PFD in front of you on the surface of the water, ensuring that the inner
lining is facing upwards and that the collar is away from you.
2. Place one arm into the appropriate arm hole.
3. Turning your body, lean back into the PFD
4. Place your other arm into the PFD
5. While you remain lying on your back, zip and/or buckle the PFD up.

(A6) Swimming and Lifesaving Strokes- Learning efficient stroke and techniques is an important
element of any swimming and lifesaving program. Students gain confidence through developing
efficient strokes to suit the conditions of the environment. These lifesaving strokes are
Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and sidestroke.

A6.1 Learn to Swim As an Adult

Swimming is a great way to stay fit and have fun in the water, and it can be learned at any age.
Whether you’ve never set foot in a pool before or just need a refresher, you can become a
competent swimmer with a little effort and a positive attitude. Gradually get used to moving
and breathing in the water, learn some basic strokes, and consider taking adult swim lessons to
perfect your technique.

Strand 1 Getting Comfortable in the Water

1.1 Spend some time in the shallow end of the pool. If you
don’t have much experience in the water, it can be helpful
to get comfortable just being in the pool before you tackle
swimming. Spend some time moving around in water that
is shallow enough that you can stand on the bottom of the
pool with your head still above the water.

1.2 Buy ear plugs and goggles to make swimming more

comfortable. Having water in your eyes and ears isn’t
necessarily a bad thing, but it can feel strange and
distracting when you first begin swimming. Chlorine can
also irritate your eyes and ears over time, so it’s a good
idea to be prepared with goggles and ear plugs.[1]

1.3 Practice holding your breath with your face

underwater. Putting your face in the water can be a little

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 Once that feels comfortable, you can try submerging your

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intimidating at first, but after a few times it will feel natural. Stand with your body as far into the
water as you’re comfortable with, then hold your breath and dip your face into the water.

1.4 Have a friend pull you through the water while you
float on your back. Once you’re in the water, lean back and
spread your arms and legs out. Have someone take one of
your hands and pull you slowly through the water. This is a
good way to practice floating and moving through the
water without having to worry about holding your
breath.[3]

 Don’t worry if you have trouble keeping your entire

body afloat. Your legs may angle slightly
downward, which is fine.

1.5 Practice “bobbing” in the deep end. Go to deeper

water and hold on to the side of the pool or a ladder.
Submerge your whole body while you exhale, then come
up to inhale. Do this several times, and try to exhale for
longer than you inhale. This will help you get comfortable
breathing when you can’t touch the bottom of the pool.[4]

Strand # 2. Mastering Basic Motions

2.1 Practice treading water. Once you are in the pool,

move your legs back and forth in a scissor motion, keeping
them straight but not rigid. Then put both arms in the
water and gently wave them back and forth horizontally, as
if you are smoothing out the water beneath you.[5]

2.2Swim with your

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legs while holding onto a flotation device. Kicking properly is a very important part of
swimming, and it can be easier to develop your technique when you don’t have to think about
your arms at the same time. Get a kick board or pool noodle and use it to support your upper
body in the water while you move yourself forward with your legs.

2.3Practice the flutter kick by moving your legs as if you

were walking. This is the most basic swimming kick, and
you can do it by keeping your legs straight and moving
them back and forth in the water. Practice this while
holding a flotation device until you feel confident.[6]

 While your legs should mostly be straight, it’s

okay to let your knees bend by an inch or two
as you move them through the water. Keeping
them rigid may actually slow you down

2.4 Do a breast stroke kick by pushing your legs out in circular motions. While holding on to a
flotation device, practice moving through the water by bending your knees up towards your
sides, then kicking them outwards and bringing them back together behind you. Your feet
should flex outward as you kick, and your legs should stay under the water.[7]

2.5 Work on your arm strokes. You can do this while standing in the water until you get
comfortable, then combine it with kicking to move through the water. Move your arms forward
in alternating circles with your hands slightly cupped. Try to “scoop” the water backwards as you
move your arms.[8]

 Keep your arms as straight as possible, and extend them as far as possible when
reaching forward.

Strand#3 Learning Swimming Techniques

3.1Do a backstroke to practice swimming with your

face out of the water. Float on your back with your legs
stretched out straight. Gently move your legs in a flutter
kick and move your arms through the water in wide
circles like windmills. Be careful not to splash too much
with your legs, as this will slow you down and make you
tired faster.[9]
 Typically, you should move backwards in the
direction your head is pointing when doing the
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backstroke. Your arms should be moving
backwards like you are pitching underhand.
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3.2 Practice doing a side-stroke. Keeping your head above water, move sideways by reaching
one arm forward and stretching the other out behind you, then bring both arms in towards your
body. You can do a kind of sideways breaststroke kick by bending both knees, kicking one out in
front of you and the other behind you, then bringing them back together.[10]
 Reach your arms out at the same time you kick your
legs, then bring them all back in at the same time.

3.3 Try a breaststroke to practice exhaling

underwater. For this stroke, both your arms and legs will
be extending out and away from your body and then
circling back in. Do a breaststroke kick while your arms
move out straight in front of your chest, then sweep to the
side as if you are parting the water in front of you.[11]
 You should exhale when your hands and knees are
coming forward, and come up to inhale when you’re
pushing back with your arms and legs.

3.4 Learn the freestyle once you’re comfortable

holding your breath. This is similar to the backstroke,
but you’ll be floating on your stomach. Do a flutter kick
and move your arms forward through the water in a
windmill motion. Exhale for 3 arm strokes, then turn
your head to the side to inhale on the 4th stroke.[12]

(A7) Rescue Skills- This strand aims to equip students with the skills to perform a range of
rescues depending upon the emergency situation and also have the experience of being
rescued. There are two kinds of rescue technique, the None-contact and Contact rescue.
However for the beginners we recommend the none-contact rescue technique as very safe.

NONE-CONTACT RESCUE
Talk -Rescuing someone by telling them what to do is the safest way of rescuing others.
Reach- Use a stick, some clothing, anything that is available
 Use a low body position so you don’t get pulled into the water
Throw- Safest way to rescue
 Make sure what you throw floats
 Aim just behind (over) the patient
 Talk to them all the time

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 Attach the rope to something that won’t move

 Stand on it
Wade - Can be a talk, reach or throw rescue, but done with you in the water
 A wade rescue is starting to get more dangerous because you have to get into the water
 Always communicate/talk to the patient

Casualty Recognition

Weak Swimmer Injured Swimmer Unconscious

 Noise
 Splashing
 Some control with direction
 Swims at 45º angle
 Noise  Not moving
 May attract your attention  Not Noisy
 Holds injured part
 Face (body) under water
 May still be able to swim
 May not be able to swim

Drowning Management for Unconscious casualty (Indoor/Outdoor AE)

• Bring the casualty into a place of safety

• Call for immediate assistance(Ambulance)

• Bring the casualty into a side-lying position with preference to airway-slightly open. Do
this for about 10-15 sec giving period to fluid to come out from victim’s mouth.

• Check for signs of life( movement, responsiveness, breathing) for 5-10 sec

• If no signs of life, commence CPR or chess compression

• Follow the sequence of CPR on module #23(Basic Life Support) until the victim revived.

Note: In drowning CPR, do not attempt to give initial ventilation to the victim not until you have
done the first cycle of it. (Emphasis)

Lifesaving and Personal Survival

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• The earliest movements to help people become safer in and around the water focused
on learning to swim and other survival techniques. This is often called personal survival:
being able to help oneself from trouble in the water without the help of others, or being
able to keep from drowning while waiting for help.
But even those who know how to swim might need to use personal survival skills in situations
like these:
• A person might not be able to swim to safety after falling out of a boat or swimming out
too far.
• Someone might be carried away by a strong current.
• Unforeseen circumstances may develop, such as cramps or an inability to swim because
of very cold water.
• A pedestrian may fall from a pier or be swept from shore by a large wave.
Beyond knowing how to swim, personal survival skills include:
• Survival floating including HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Position).
• Treading water and sculling.
• Orienteering yourself underwater.

STANDARD WATER SAFETY SIGNS

Learning Activity

Rope Rescue Relay

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Aim: to practice rope throws under pressure

Participants: Eight or more
Formation: Teams of four or more
Pool Depth: Chest to deep water
Equipment: Rope (one for each team)
Instructions:
1. Each team chooses a person to be the first rescuer and the rest of the team are the
victims
2. In the water the victims line up one after each other with the first victim of each team
standing the same distance away.
3. Ensure the distance is appropriate for the length of rope you are using.
4. At the signal “go”, the first rescuer coils up the rope and throws it out to the first victim
of their team.
5. It must reach the victim as they cannot move to get the rope-if it doesn’t, it must be
reeled in, recoiled and the rescue repeated.
6. Once the victim has the rope, the rescuer pulls them into the pool edge. The first victim
must then get out of the pool and they become the next rescuer. The exercise is
repeated until all victims have been rescued.
7. The first team who has all their members back on shore (out of the water) is the winner.

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

Direction: Encircle the letter that correspond correct answer.

1. Safety can be considered as
a. a concern for others b. awareness of dangers c. minimizing risk d. all of the above
2. The prevention of emergencies depends on your understanding of
a. ability to apply safety knowledge b. aggressiveness c. strength d. none of the above
3. An entry is required from a height of more than one meter into known deep water.
a. Step-in entry b. slide-in entry c. compact jump d. wade entry
4. In casualty recognition, injured swimmer may have
a. Noise b. Holds injured part c. Still able to swim d. All of the above
5. The safest way of rescuing others in water distress
a. throw b. talk c. wade d. reach
6. Can be a talk, reach or throw rescue, but done with you in the water
a. Reach b. wade c. throw d. none of the above
7. A sign that tell you what you must do.
a. Mandatory sign b. prohibitive sign c. information sign d. all of the above
8. A sign that tells you what you can do.
a. Mandatory sign b. prohibitive sign c. information sign d. all of the above
9. A sign that tells you what you must not do.
a. Mandatory sign b. prohibitive sign c. information sign d. all of the above

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10. Also known as the Aqua code

a. Go together b. stay afloat c. reach to rescue d. all of the above

Reference

1. http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/swimming-equipment-1.html
2. ↑http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/overcoming-fear-of-water-1.html
3. ↑https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-swimming-
blog/2014/jan/02/learning-to-swim-fear-of-swimming
4. ↑https://www.active.com/swimming/articles/breathing-basics-getting-
comfortable-870012
5. ↑https://youtu.be/kFmOtf_Ew1w
6. ↑http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/flutter-kick.html
7. ↑https://youtu.be/spbF-0ELqoQ
8. ↑https://youtu.be/SONx52cyltI
9. ↑https://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/how-master-basic-swim-
strokes/slideshow
10. ↑https://youtu.be/heKKhNBHp98
11. ↑https://youtu.be/xH4mV7rRBnE
12. ↑https://youtu.be/5HLW2AI1Ink
13. https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Swim-As-an-Adult
14. Swimming & Lifesaving 5th Edition Version 2

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