Published 26 April 2016

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) has launched the new and improved Pool Extraction Board (PXB) for simpler and more efficient swimming pool rescues.

Developed in conjunction with equipment specialist Ferno UK, the new PXB will be introduced to pools and leisure centres throughout 2016 to improve safety and is now on sale.

The exciting and revolutionary new piece of rescue equipment gives lifeguards more options when extracting casualties from swimming pools. Suitable for use in all pools from deck level to freeboard, shallow water to deep water, the new design using Velcro straps and head blocks means rescues can be accomplished quicker and more easily than with existing rescue boards.

“We have spent almost three years reviewing models from around the world, working with medical experts as well as safety equipment specialist Ferno to design what we believe is the best extraction board on the market,” says Alex Blackwell, head of vocational qualifications at IQL UK, the training arm of RLSS UK.

“It’s hard to overestimate the significance of the new PXB for operators, who can now conduct safer pool extractions with less staff and simpler training techniques. It’s a game changer, which is why operators can’t wait to get their hands on them.”

Just two lifeguards can carry out a pool rescue using the PXB instead of the traditional four, leaving other members of the team free to monitor other pool users and perform key roles in a rescue situation.

Developed by a team of engineers, researchers and designers, the new board has been rigorously tested in both shallow and deep pools to ensure it meets stringent safety standards. The design of the PXB is simple but versatile. It is fitted with head blocks used in ambulances and hospitals to ensure head and neck stabilisation during rescue making the PXB suitable for a casualty with a suspected spinal injury. It can also be used in place of an assisted lift and accommodate heavier or pregnant casualties, reducing the manual handling risk of injury to a lifeguard or supporting staff.

The PXB has received critical acclaim from industry and aquatic experts for its revolutionary role in lifeguarding.

Professor Sir Keith Porter, a Professor of Clinical Traumatology at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, who has been at the forefront of the development of treatment for injured military service personnel for more than 10 years.

“The new board and extraction technique represents a major advance in the management of both medical and trauma emergencies occurring in water. The RLSS UK is to be congratulated on the innovative board design which can be used for both deck level pools and pools with a free board.”

IQL UK, RLSS UK’s trading subsidiary and leader in lifeguarding and pool safety training, is currently training its National Trainer Assessors throughout the country in the use of the PXB with the majority expected to be qualified by 1 June 2016. Training of Assessors and lifeguards will then follow.

For more information about the PXB, please visit the website at www.rlss.org.uk.

To purchase a PXB board visit www.rlssdirect.co.uk

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