Cyprus parliament discusses lifeguard certification regulations

The Cypriot Parliament is meeting this Thursday to debate proposed changes to the regulation of public swimming pool safety. A central point of the discussion is whether the Cyprus Lifesaving Federation will retain its authority to certify lifeguards. Polis Pallikaros, president of the federation, has raised concerns regarding safety standards, alleging that some unregulated entities issue certifications without proper training. He claimed that some individuals are providing lifeguard services to hotels after receiving only minimal guidance from internet sources like YouTube. The government is considering shifting the certification responsibility to the Human Resource Development Authority. Additionally, the federation proposed increasing the number of permanent, eight-month, and ten-month contracts to address the ongoing staff shortage. The proposed regulations aim to remove the requirement for certification specifically from the Cyprus Lifesaving Federation for pool safety supervisors.