October 2001

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Waterpark staffers try to enforce rules and ensure the safety of guests, but ultimately, the guests largely control their own actions.

Unfortunately, staff roles are one of the least understood aspects at waterparks. While employees can reinforce rules and instructions for water attractions, they are powerless to intervene if a guest chooses to violate or challenge a rule.

Can’t force compliance
Similar to speed limits on highways, waterpark rules are established and clearly posted. The fact that someone doesn’t comply with the speed limit or waterpark rules doesn’t constitute invalidation of the rules or endorsement of the activity.

Short of a toot on a whistle, a water-slide attendant cannot force a kneeling rider to lie down; force a guest who is intentionally slowing down to cease braking; force guests who have rotated to the head-first position to reverse themselves; or make a person who is rocking a raft or inner tube to stop doing so. Obviously, riders of waterpark attractions don’t have much in common with riders of dry-land amusement rides, where riders are constrained by buckles or bars and have no control over the riding experience.

If your staff is in a position to observe a violation and make contact with the guest, they should, like a traffic cop, encounter the guest and reinforce the rule.

Unfortunately, waterpark staffs do not have the authority that traffic cops have. Water-slide attendants can address inappropriate conduct only by signaling to the next attendant to admonish a rider or, rarely, by recognizing riders the next time they arrive at dispatch and addressing their inappropriate conduct. Likewise, catch-pool lifeguards aren’t obligated to pull riders out of the landing area unless a trauma situation is developing or appears likely to develop.

Out of harm’s way
For the most part, young employees are at the mercy of the good judgment and concern for mutual well-being by which humans are supposed to be guided. In fact, staffers can subject themselves to physical harm if they attempt to admonish or physically restrain unruly guests.

It’s a basic premise in all rescue training that guards should never place themselves in jeopardy to make a save. It’s also important that waterpark managers train their entire staffs to not place themselves in jeopardy in attempts to enforce rules. Each facility should have an established protocol or chain of command for handling problem patrons.

In addition to responding to troublemakers, waterpark staffs must recognize and respond to emergencies. Managers need to train employees so that emergency response becomes conditioned. Regardless of the physical or emotional trauma, everyone needs to know their roles.

During emergencies, some staffers may be required to deftly abandon their normal assignment and assume a workstation and a role completely different from that for which they were trained. Each facility’s in-service training should address this possible scenario, and each employee should have knowledge of the roles of other employees. Protocols for all possible emergencies should be covered in an emergency action plan.