RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
March 25, 2004
FORUM PROPOSED TO CUT UK DROWNINGS
Plans for new structures to mastermind water safety in the UK will be discussed next week.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is holding its national water safety congress in Brighton, and hopes to bring together all organisations with an interest in reducing drownings and injuries, both inland and at sea.
RoSPA believes the current arrangements for overseeing water safety issues are too fragmented from Government down to grass roots level and action needs to be taken to improve the situation.
Peter Cornall, RoSPA Head of Water Safety, said: “Because of the number of different Government departments and other organisations involved in water safety, there have been great difficulties in developing a co-ordinated approach.
“Delegates to our conference will be asked to support the National Water Safety Forum which will look at issues such as education and accident prevention and developing guidance and best practice.”
The Government has agreed to form an interdepartmental group for its eight departments with water safety and rescue responsibilities. The National Water Safety Forum will make reports to it, and will be made up of representatives from about 60 organisations dealing with beach, sea, inland water, swimming pool and water sports safety and safety information. The Maritime Safety Co-ordinating Committee and the UK Search and Rescue Strategic Committee will also have input into the forum and the interdepartmental group.
Peter Cornall said: “It is hoped this new set up will avoid duplication of work and gives those involved in water safety a stronger voice so that action can be taken to reduce drownings and accidents.”
The conference sponsored by the Environment Agency and Sport England will be held at the Hilton Brighton West Pier Hotel on Monday and Tuesday (March 29 and 30). It will be opened at 10.30am by Roger Draper, Chief Executive of Sport England, and at 2.30pm David Jamieson, Transport Minister, will launch new operational guidelines called Safety on Beaches.
Over the last 10 years, an average of 470 people have drowned annually in the UK – 20 per cent of them around the coastline. Between 2001 and 2003, RNLI beach lifeguards responded to 4,406 major beach incidents and saved 69 lives.
In last summer’s heatwave, more than 150 people drowned both inland and on the coast in June, July and August alone. The congress will be looking at what lessons have been learned from those tragedies and what successful measures were taken at water sites to prevent even more happening.
