RBQ MITIGATING MEASURES

To provide the public with access to supervised and safe swimming areas this summer, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) has implementedsome  «mesures qui atténueront les répercussions de la pénurie de main-d’œuvre qualifiée en surveillance et en sauvetage aquatique.»

The RBQ now permits the hiring of a lifeguard aged 16 instead of 17, as previously required by regulations. To supervise a pool or beach, a person must be at least 16 years old and hold one of the certificates listed in Articles 27 and 49 of the Regulation respecting safety in public baths. No special request for a different measure is required to hire a 16-year-old lifeguard, and the only condition is possession of the required certification.

Additionally, starting at age 15, holders of the Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, and National Lifeguard certifications may be hired as surveillance attendants in the role of assistant lifeguards.

For those whose lifeguard certification has expired and who were unable to renew it before the start of the summer season, the RBQ is extending the validity of the National Lifeguard (Pool and Waterfront options) and Bronze Cross certifications that have expired since April 1, 2022, until September 1, 2022