New ruling allows 15-year-old lifeguards: a coalition of industry groups convinces the government to revise its position.(15-year-old lifeguards laws)

Many aquatics operators are breathing a collective sigh of relief after the U.S. Department of Labor rescinded a portion of its enforcement position that forbade lifeguards under age 16 to oversee waterparks.

Last summer, Labor said lifeguards under 16 were not permitted to do so, leaving operators scrambling to find workers of legal age. But after reviewing the decision at the behest of an industry coalition, it revised that position. The new ruling states that 15-year-olds may serve as lifeguards at waterparks, except for dispatching or attending the tops of water slides. Working at the top of a slide is considered "tending machinery."

However, 15-year-olds may serve as lifeguards at catch pools at bottoms of water slides, on wave pools, lazy rivers and play areas. Labor rules state that 15-year-olds still may not work at natural bodies of water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, canals, piers or wharfs. This policy has been recommended by the United States Lifesaving Association since 1980, said B. Chris Brewster, the group's president.

The coalition that convinced Labor officials to change their waterpark position included the National Recreation & Park Association, the World Waterpark ...