The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is marking National Family Week (May 25 – 31, 2009) with a splash of counsel on summer water safety.
RoSPA believes the UK’s first week for families is an ideal time for parents, carers and children to prepare together for water fun in the holidays.
Families could think about planning swimming and first aid lessons together, for example, learning vital skills like resuscitation. And older relatives could use the anticipation of the countdown until a holiday to chat with children about water safety, such as the importance of never swimming alone.
Perhaps one of the most important factors in keeping safe is supervision, particularly essential with younger children because drowning is often quick and quiet.
Figures collected over a recent six-year period show that 30 UK children under the age of 10 drowned in swimming pools abroad, with many of the cases involving toddlers wandering off from their parents and falling into unsupervised pools. Such incidents can occur easily when relatives are relaxed or distracted, such as on the first and final days of a holiday.
Some families are also caught out by differences in pool supervision practices abroad, with many unaware that foreign pools are not watched in the same way as UK facilities. For instance, a swimming pool may have an attendant handing out towels, but their safety training will be different to that of a lifeguard, whose role is as much about preventing accidents as rescue.
Of course, water safety skills can be applied at home as well as abroad, with many of the key messages – supervision and swimming training for example – equally applicable to activities in and around water here.
Peter Cornall, RoSPA head of leisure safety said: “Whether you’re jetting off to sunnier climes, staying in the UK for your holiday, or not going away at all, the entire family can have fun and develop life-saving skills by learning about water safety together.
“Sadly, each year some British children do not return home from holiday due to drowning, and we strongly advise families to get acquainted with the swimming pool arrangements at their hotel, villa or campsite.
“And with an abundance of water sites in the UK – from park lakes to canals and everything in between – chatting to your children about water can help them to stay safe even if you’re not going away.”
RoSPA is raising awareness of how we can all play a part in water, home, and road safety, as well as safety education, as part of National Family Week. On Friday, (May 22, 2009), RoSPA shared advice about preparing for holiday drives together.
See http://www.rospa.com/leisuresafety/adviceandinformation/watersafety/ for further advice on enjoying water activities safely, and www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk for more information on National Family Week.
