A swimming pool at a private housing estate in Hong Kong’s Happy Valley has been ordered to close after authorities discovered a lifeguard on duty was suspected of using fraudulent credentials.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said on Thursday that the lifeguard’s credentials did not match records held by the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society.
The licensed pool at the private estate at 1-5 Ventris Road was ordered to close immediately because the attendant’s qualifications were in doubt, leaving the facility without the legally required number of qualified lifeguards, a government spokesperson said.
A check by the South China Morning Post found Winfield Building located at the same address.
The department said it was considering prosecuting the pool’s licensee and had referred the suspected use of fraudulent documents to police.
It also notified the Property Management Services Authority for follow-up action.
The statement did not say whether the lifeguard had been arrested, suspended or removed from duty.
FEHD officers had sent a batch of lifeguard records to the society for verification on Wednesday and received the results a day later, prompting immediate action against the pool’s licensee.
“Swimming pool licensees must strictly comply with the Swimming Pools Regulation and the licensing conditions, ensuring that sufficient qualified life-saving attendants are on duty during the opening hours of the pool,” a department spokesman said.
Since May last year, private pool licensees have been explicitly required to check lifeguards’ identity documents before employing them and retain copies of their Pool Lifeguard Awards and personal logbooks.
Duty records must also be verified and signed by both the lifeguards and inspecting staff appointed by licensees.
The department said it had carried out about 7,000 inspections at more than 1,400 licensed private pools between January and July this year, verifying the qualifications of around 2,100 lifeguards.
Another case involving the suspected deployment of unqualified lifeguards was uncovered last year after enhanced regulatory measures were introduced.
The department said it would increase surprise inspections and spot checks during the peak swimming season. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
