Your guide to safe swimming this summer

Look out for safety notices

There are a various icons and symbols to look out for on water safety notices. 

If you’re swimming at the beach, you may also spot flags which have important safety information on them. 

• Warning notices are characterised by their triangle shape and yellow background. Using black symbols, the purpose of these notices are to alert you of any hazards.
• Prohibition notices indicate actions or areas that are dangerous. These are shaped with a red ring and diagonal line.
• Mandatory notices are circular and have a blue background. These notices highlight actions you must take to ensure your safety, e.g wearing a lifejacket.

Stay in lifeguarded areas

Lifeguards are highly qualified in water safety knowledge and training. Should anybody get into trouble in or around water, they’re here to provide first aid and share vital safety advice.

You can search for your nearest lifeguard patrolled beach on the RNLI website. 

Planning your swim

You can make your swim a safer one by planning ahead and thinking about the following:

• Checking weather and tide times before doing any activity in or around water (such as canoeing or sailing) so that you don’t get caught out by bad conditions.
• Making yourself and others visible by wearing a brightly coloured wetsuit, swim suit, or swimming aids such as armbands.
• Bringing safety aids such as a float or even a first aid kit, ensuring everybody can head out into the water with some extra protection.
• Considering your experience and ability within different aquatic environments, such as pools, lakes, and the sea.

Practicing water safety at home

We know that having fun in and around water can be done at home too, so improving water safety at home is vital. 

Supervision is key. A capable adult who has limited distractions should be constantly monitoring children.

After a child has been in the bath, it’s important to immediately empty it after use. Similarly, if a child has been in a paddling pool or used a bucket, these should also be emptied, stored upside down, and kept out of reach.

Whether they’re in the garden or in a park, ponds can also cause a serious risk to water safety. If you’re able to, cover the pond with a rigid metal grille or build a self-locking fence around it to keep People safe from the water.

What to do if you get into trouble

Around 140 People lose their lives at UK and Irish coasts every year, so it’s important to know what to do in an emergency. 

• Alert a lifeguard at your local pool if you see somebody in trouble in or around the water.
• Call 999 or 112 if you’re at a beach and ask for the Coastguard. Contact a lifeguard if the beach is lifeguarded.
• Float to improve stability in the water if you find yourself in any difficulty.
• Find a safety aid that floats and can be thrown into the water if you see someone in trouble. Don’t get into the water to help.