Annual swimming pool safety awareness campaign

Ritstjórn
Lifeguard Dagbjört Ýr Gísladóttir at work in Laugardalslaug Pool. Róbert Reynisson
Lifeguard Dagbjört Ýr Gísladóttir monitors screens in the guard room at Laugardalslaug Pool. She's wearing a red sweater, with a window overlooking the indoor pool on the left side of the image.

Reykjavík City's annual swimming pool safety awareness campaign is now underway. The awareness campaign honors the memory of Guðni Pétur Guðnason, a Reykjavík City welfare department employee who died on Jan. 21, 2021.

Required training for swimming pool staff

Reykjavík City's Department of Culture & Sports organizes required training for swimming pool staff to enhance their safety knowledge and skills. The training includes lectures and hands-on exercises. Shift supervisors also run regular emergency drills based on duty schedules, reviewing procedures, equipment and emergency responses. These drills exceed mandatory training requirements.

The Icelandic Red Cross provides lifeguard training nationwide, trains instructors and offers annual specialized safety and rescue courses for swimming pool and bathing facility staff. The Red Cross belongs to Nordic and international organizations focused on pool and water safety and rescue, ensuring training is based on the latest knowledge and best practices.

All swimming pool and bathing facility staff receive training in safety, first aid and water rescue through these courses. Lifeguards also take annual competency tests in water rescue to maintain their certification. In 2025, 238 new lifeguards at Reykjavík City swimming pools finished Red Cross basic training in safety and rescue.

Safety at Reykjavík City swimming pools is always a top operational priority, and procedures are constantly reviewed to ensure the safest possible environment for guests and staff.

Safety is a shared responsibility

Swimming pool guests are responsible for their own behavior and safety. This means guests must follow facility rules and instructions and pay attention to warning signs and conditions that require extra caution. Guest responsibility also means being in suitable mental and physical condition to swim. Guests should also know that water, depth, heat and cold can affect underlying health conditions or problems.

Swimming is always at your own risk. This responsibility increases when guests bring children, and parents or guardians must make sure children are properly supervised and have necessary safety equipment like flotation devices when needed.

Swimming pool guests must respect lifeguards' work and give them space to do their jobs without interference. Lifeguards play a crucial role in keeping all guests safe and need to watch and respond without major distractions.

Guest safety is the guiding principle at the swimming pools, ensuring visitors have the best possible experience when they come for relaxation and wellness. The goal is for swimming pools to remain places that support physical, mental and social well-being.

Through close cooperation between guests and staff, we foster a strong safety culture at swimming and bathing facilities.