Wednesday 20 June 2018

Stay safe around water - Drowning Prevention Week....

Did you know that from the 15th until the 25th is Drowning Prevention Week? As a parent I have always tried to keep my girls safe around water. With summer approaching it is important to remind yourself how careful you need to be with little one's....


Thousands of people are hospitalised due to near drowning experiences in the UK every year and hundreds more lose their lives. Latest stats show that 56 children under the age of 11 years old drowned in the UK in the last 5 years with more than 300 people accidentally drowning every year. And for every drowning death that occurs there are more than 10 near drownings, with many of these leading to life changing injuries.


There are a number of things you can do to help keep your family safe this summer:

At home....


Always use gates, fences and locks to prevent children from gaining access to pools of water. Think ponds and paddling pools and even things like buckets which have collected rain water....

Securely cover all water storage tanks and drains & Keep aquariums and fishbowls out of reach of small children.... 

Empty paddling pools and buckets as soon as they have been used and always turn paddling pools upside down once empty....They could refill with rain water without you realising....

Some children have a fascination with toilets. Always keep the seat down if you have a toddler in the house and consider buying a childproof safety catch for the toilet lid....

Always supervise bath time.....

On Holiday....


When researching your holiday, or arriving at your destination check the safety arrangements of any water based activities....

Check the safest places to swim and always read the signs....Find out what local warning signs and flags mean....They could be in different languages.

Take time to check the depth, water flow and layout of pools....

Swim with any children in your care it’s more fun and you can keep them close and safe....

Don't assume that a child who knows how to swim isn't at risk for drowning. All kids need to be supervised in the water, no matter what their swimming skills.

On beaches check when the tide will be high and low, make sure that you won’t be cut off from the beach exit by the rising tide and be aware of dangerous rip-currents....

Inflatable dinghies or lilos are a well known hazards. Each year plenty of people on inflatables are blown out to sea. Do not use them in open water....

Do not swim near to or dive from rocks, piers, breakwater or coral...

Swim parallel to the beach and close to the shore....

If you're not a swimmer yourself, it's a good idea to take lessons to learn how to swim. 

What to Do in an Emergency


Whenever a child is missing always check the pool first. Survival depends on a quick rescue and restarting breathing as soon as possible....

If you find a child in the water immediately get the child out while calling loudly for help. If someone else is available, have them call the emergency services....

Check to make sure the child's air passages are clear....

If the child is not breathing start CPR....

When the emergency number is called follow the instructions the emergency operators provide....

The majority of drowning incidents can be prevented, especially with children....Making sure everyone is aware of the basic principles of water safety helps to keep families safe and still enjoy the water. 

To get involved, get free resources and find out what your local leisure centre is doing visit the campaign website.

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