World Academy of Safety & Health (WASH) requires instructors to now include the birthdate of each course participant on the Student Authorization Request (SAR) for several critical reasons, ensuring both compliance with legal standards and the safety of all involved.
First and foremost, the inclusion of a participant’s birthdate is essential for age verification. The WASH Lifeguard training programs have an age requirement – fifteen (15) years of age by the final day of a lifeguard class. This minimum age helps to ensure the participant possesses the maturity and physical ability to handle potentially life-threatening situations in a pool or aquatic setting. The birthdate serves as a reliable means to verify whether the participant meets these age criteria before they are admitted into the program.
Additionally, the birthdate helps to ensure that the training aligns with the participant’s developmental stage. Younger participants may not have the physical strength or emotional maturity required to handle the responsibilities of a lifeguard, such as responding to emergencies or managing stressful situations. By knowing the participant’s age, WASH can tailor its training program to accommodate the different capabilities of individuals within the course, enhancing both the effectiveness of the training and the safety of the participants.
Another important reason for collecting the birthdate is legal and insurance considerations. Many local and national regulations for lifeguard certification specify a minimum age for participants to be eligible for training. These regulations are in place to ensure that only individuals who are physically and mentally prepared to fulfill the demanding role of a lifeguard are granted certification. Additionally, insurance policies often require age verification to cover the participant under the terms of the policy. In the event of an incident, the age of the participant must be documented to confirm eligibility and to ensure that all legal requirements are met.
Furthermore, tracking birthdates allows WASH to maintain accurate records of their participants, which is crucial for certification purposes. Lifeguard training courses require detailed records to confirm that participants have completed the necessary steps to become certified. Birthdate information helps to avoid confusion or misreporting of participant data and ensures that each participant’s record is accurate, up-to-date, and easily verifiable.
Collecting a participant’s birthdate for a lifeguard course at the World Academy of Safety & Health (WASH) serves multiple purposes, including age verification, safety, legal compliance, insurance requirements, and recordkeeping. This simple yet important piece of information is essential in ensuring that participants meet the necessary requirements for training and certification, while also maintaining the integrity and safety of the course.
Please verify each participant’s birthdate at the start of each course by examining a government (or school )issued photo ID. It may be best practice to include this requirement in your welcome email prior to the start of a WASH Lifeguard course.