Employers need to follow the guidance from the relevant devolved administration:

Please click the link on the country to view guidance

• England 
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland 
• Wales 
• Ireland 

As an employer, there are other considerations that should be taken into account within your risk assessment:

1. Swimming pool environments tend to be warm and moist, which could cause the lifeguard to:

• hydrate regularly when in position, meaning they will be moving the mask/face-covering regularly
• sweat, causing the mask to become wet
  i.  guidance from all devolved administrations states that masks should be changed if they become damp
  ii. the World Health Organisation advises against wearing a face-covering when exercising as sweat can make a face-covering wet more quickly, making it difficult to breathe and promoting the growth of microorganisms - for more information click here. Although lifeguards are not exercising, they may well sweat from the environment they are working in.

2. Is the lifeguard positioned far away from the public and other employees (e.g. in a highchair)

3. If your risk assessment deems that lifeguards, whilst in certain positions, do not wear a face-covering, you should detail clearly when they should put a face-covering on. For example, when leaving their positions, when approaching a member of the public or another employee