4 minute read
At dryrobe®, we love getting into the water. Whether it’s paddling out on a board, jumping on a SUP or diving in for a quick dip, there is fun to be had both out on the coast and inland on lakes and waterways. But, whilst there’s plenty to enjoy it’s vital that you respect the water, and always follow safety guidelines, wherever you are.
Tragically, more than 400 people drown in the UK and Ireland every year and thousands more suffer injury, sometimes life-changing, when they survive drowning. More than half of these people never had any intention of being in the water when they drowned, but fell in whilst walking or running.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is on a mission is to reduce the number of drowning and near-drowning incidences that occur in the UK every year, and their eighth annual Drowning Prevention Week (19-26 June 2021) campaign encourages schools, clubs, leisure centres and communities, to promote water safety education to make people more aware of the dangers of water.
We’re proud to partner with this amazing charity and help share these important water safety messages to as many people as possible.
You can keep your family safe around water by making sure they know the Water Safety Code:
Whenever you are around the water:
Stop and think – look for the dangers, always read the signs
Stay together – never swim alone. Always go with friends or family
In an emergency:
Call 999 or 112 and shout for help
Float – if you fall in, float or swim on your back. Throw something in that
floats to anyone that falls in.
RLSS UK also has some great advice for staying safe around water this summer, whether you’re at home or away on holiday.
At home:
- Always use self-closing gates, fences and locks to prevent children from gaining access to pools of water
- Securely cover all water storage tanks and drains
- Empty paddling pools and buckets as soon as they have been used.
- Always turn paddling pools upside down once empty
- Always supervise bath time (never leave children unattended). Empty the bath as soon as possible after use
- When researching your holiday, or arriving at your destination, check the safety arrangements of any water-based activities and whether there is lifeguard cover at the pool or beach
- Check bathing sites for hazards, check the safest places to swim and always read the signs – find out what local warning signs and flags mean.
- 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
- On beaches check when the tide will be high and low and make sure that you won’t be cut off from the beach exit by the rising tide. Also, be aware of dangerous rip-currents
- Inflatables like dinghies or lilos are a well-known hazard – every year someone drowns when 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
In open water:
Don’t
- Swim at unsupervised (un-lifeguarded sites) including lakes, quarries reservoirs and rivers
- Jump into the water until you have acclimatised to the water temperature
- Jump into the water from heights or ‘tombstone’
- Swim into deep water which will be colder
- Swim at supervised (lifeguarded) sites
- Swim parallel with the shore, where you can quickly get to safety
- Swim with friends or family, so that you can help each other if you need to
- Look for signs and advice about the specific dangers at the place where you are swimming
- Think about what you will do if something goes wrong
- Contact a reputable outdoor pursuits or coasteering centre if you want to take part in more extreme activities
Find out more about how you can get involved in Drowning Prevention Week and the great work that RLSS UK do at www.rlss.org.uk
Follow RLSS UK:
Facebook: Royal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UK
Instagram: @rlssuk
Twitter: @RLSSUK
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