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Drowning Prevention Australia Launches New Managing Occupational Violence in Aquatic Settings Course
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
New nationally developed course equips aquatic professionals with practical skills to prevent, de-escalate and respond to occupational violence and aggression.
Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) is one of the fastest-growing workplace health and safety challenges facing Australia's aquatic industry.
From verbal abuse and intimidation through to threats and physical aggression, aquatic workers are increasingly being exposed to behaviours that impact their safety, wellbeing and ability to perform their roles.
In response to growing industry demand, Drowning Prevention Australia (DPA) has launched a new Managing Occupational Violence in Aquatic Settings course, providing aquatic professionals with practical skills and confidence to safely manage challenging situations while maintaining a positive customer experience.
The course forms part of the No Excuse for Abuse campaign and represents another step towards creating safer, more respectful aquatic workplaces across Australia.
Developed Specifically for the Aquatic Industry
Unlike generic conflict management courses, Managing Occupational Violence in Aquatic Settings has been designed specifically for aquatic environments.
Participants explore real situations experienced by:
Pool Lifeguards
Swim Teachers
Customer Service Officers
Duty Managers
Aquatic Supervisors
Facility Managers
The scenarios reflect the unique challenges aquatic workers encounter every day, including enforcing active supervision requirements, managing patron behaviour, responding to emergencies and communicating safety expectations.
The result is practical learning that participants can immediately apply in their own facilities.
A Practical, Scenario-Based Learning Experience
The course has been designed around realistic workplace scenarios rather than theory alone.
Participants develop practical skills to:
Recognise early signs of escalating behaviour
Understand why conflict occurs
Communicate calmly and confidently
Apply proven de-escalation techniques
Manage aggressive or abusive patrons safely
Reduce psychosocial risks
Protect themselves, colleagues and patrons
Report and document incidents effectively
Support colleagues following challenging incidents
Through facilitated discussions, practical exercises and aquatic-specific case studies, participants leave with greater confidence to manage difficult interactions professionally and safely.
Supporting Safer Workplaces
Training alone will not eliminate occupational violence.
However, it plays an important role in building confident teams, improving consistency and reinforcing organisational expectations.
When combined with:
Leadership commitment
Clear workplace policies
Visible campaign messaging
Incident reporting systems
Staff wellbeing initiatives
Continuous improvement
training becomes a key component of a comprehensive occupational violence prevention strategy.
Supporting the No Excuse for Abuse Campaign
The course has been developed to complement Drowning Prevention Australia's No Excuse for Abuse campaign.
Together, the campaign resources and training provide organisations with practical tools to:
Promote respectful behaviour
Support staff wellbeing
Build confidence when managing difficult situations
Strengthen workplace culture
Reduce occupational violence and aggression
Demonstrate leadership across the aquatic industry
By combining awareness with capability development, facilities can move beyond simply responding to incidents and instead build safer, more respectful workplaces.
Who Should Attend?
The course is suitable for:
Pool Lifeguards
Swim Teachers
Customer Service Teams
Duty Managers
Aquatic Coordinators
Facility Managers
Operations Managers
Local Government Aquatic Services
Learn to Swim Providers
Leisure Contractors
Whether your organisation operates a single facility or manages multiple aquatic centres, the course provides practical skills relevant to every member of the aquatic workforce.
Building Capability Across the Industry
Creating respectful workplaces requires more than policies.
It requires confident people who understand how to communicate effectively, manage conflict professionally and support one another when incidents occur.
The Managing Occupational Violence in Aquatic Settings course represents another important step towards building a stronger, safer and more resilient aquatic industry.
Together with the No Excuse for Abuse campaign, Drowning Prevention Australia is committed to equipping organisations with the knowledge, tools and leadership needed to create workplaces where everyone feels safe, respected and supported.
Take Action
Help your team build the skills and confidence to manage occupational violence and aggression in aquatic settings.
Enrol in the Managing Occupational Violence in Aquatic Settings course and join the growing number of aquatic organisations committed to creating safer, more respectful workplaces through the No Excuse for Abuse campaign.
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