The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) has launched its new Pool Extraction Board (PXB) which is set to transform the way swimming pool rescues are carried out.

“We spent almost three years reviewing models from around the world, working with medical experts and safety equipment specialist Ferno to design what we believe is the best extraction board on the market,” says Martin Symcox, director of RLSS’s trading subsidiary IQL UK.

According to Symcox, the new design creates faster rescue times, offers improved safety and has the potential to reduce demands placed on staff.

“The PXB requires just two trained users to carry out a pool rescue for deck level pools – as opposed to the traditional four,” he says. “This means less lifeguards are drawn into a rescue, enabling them to manage the emergency, other pool users and perform other key roles in a rescue situation.

“It can also be used in place of an assisted lift and accommodate heavier or pregnant swimmers, reducing the manual handling risk of injury to a lifeguard or supporting staff.”

The new board has been well received by the leisure sector.

“Within its first six months, more than 450 boards have been sold and delivered to leisure centres across the UK and around the world including Europe, China, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

“The demand has been high from leisure centres across the country with over 1,600 of RLSS UK Pool Lifeguard Trainer Assessors qualified to deliver training on the PXB.”