Saving lives and reducing injuries...AT LEISURE
Addressing the lack of a strategic approach
Why? A strategic approach to water safety, including data collection to establish the evidence base for accident prevention and joint working, means resources can be appropriately targeted and professionals can learn from an established pool of knowledge.
"Managing water risks is all about a balance between giving people freedom to make informed choices about how to enjoy water and the impact those choices have on society in general. By providing better information, WAID will assist in striking that balance and enable us to develop more effective prevention work."
David Walker, RoSPA’s information manager and a member of the NWSF
What we did: We continued to provide co-ordination and communications support to the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF), which brings together organisations, government and communities to work together on water safety in the UK.
A particular highlight of the year was that WAID (the WAter Incident Database) generated its first report, which revealed that 405 people died as a result of water related accidents in the UK in 2009. WAID was developed by the NWSF with funding from the Department for Transport, to enable greater detail and volume in the collection of data on drowning and other water-related deaths, injuries and near misses. Of the 405 fatalities identified by the report, more than half (213) came as a result of incidents in inland waters. Under-19s accounted for 59 of the fatalities.
Jenny Spink, who joined us for a water safety placement.
The year also saw the publication of two best practice guides about coasteering. The guides - one covering skills and training for coasteering guides and the other outlining best practice for providers in managing the risks associated with coasteering - were produced by an industry working group, involving coasteering providers and safety and rescue organisations. The group was established under the direction of the NWSF’s beach safety advisory group.
"I am interested in water safety due to an experience that occurred years ago when a friend who was 11 almost drowned. She thought she was a strong swimmer and went into the deep end and got into trouble, but luckily there was a lifeguard to help her. I wondered what would happen if there wasn’t a lifeguard at swimming pools. Here at RoSPA I have found out what happens. There is a high percentage of drownings of UK children abroad when there have not been lifeguards on duty."
RoSPA placement student Jenny Spink
Supporting new research
Why? Establishing the causes of drowning and developing new prevention strategies are essential to make an impact in reducing the tragic loss through drowning each year.
What we did: We were pleased to welcome a placement student who investigated how swimming pool drownings could be prevented within the context of overseas holidays. She discovered that 67 children from the UK (42 boys and 25 girls) had drowned abroad during the seven years from 2003-2009. The largest number of deaths (26) happened in Spain. The most common location was in a swimming pool, where 39 of the drownings happened. Children unaccompanied by an adult at pools where there was no lifeguard was a common factor in the drownings. The research is informing our advice on this issue. A young advocate from the Changemakers Foundation also joined us to research young people’s participation in water safety.
Providing expert consultancy, audit and training
Why? The advice, training and consultancy we provide benefits recipients seeking assistance with the management of a specific site or activity. It also helps to shape our own policy positions by bringing us into direct contact with the realities faced "on the ground".
What we did: We were commissioned by the architects of the Peace Bridge in Derry to assess their design for safety. Unique to this request by McAdam Design, we were asked to consider the design of the bridge in terms of deliberate jumping from the structure as well as the possibility of accidental falls from it. To provide our comments on the design we compared the proposed bridge with the design of several other bridges in the UK that were known to have a problem of people jumping from them, such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge. We also compared the design of newly constructed similar high profile bridges including the Millennium Bridge over the Thames and the Sage Bridge in Gateshead to give our safety assessment.
Promoting exciting leisure and play
Why? We advocate that people should understand the risks they take, rather than being risk averse. Play enables children to learn important lessons about dealing with risks, and, to this end, the provision of stimulating play environments should be encouraged.
What we did: We continued to work with local authorities and other play providers, helping them implement their inspection regime and running training courses on play management.
RoSPA Play Safety inspectors began using PSSLive software.
In a new development, RoSPA Play Safety entered into partnership with PSS, the leading provider of asset management technology, to help local authorities develop playgrounds that are both safe and challenging. The new partnership saw RoSPA Play Safety inspectors begin using PSSLive - software that enables data and photographs from annual safety inspections to be gathered using a handheld device and uploaded instantly to the internet, from where they could be accessed by the playground provider. Removing the administrative barrier to play safety that is sometimes cited by providers enables them to concentrate on developing and maintaining play areas that are challenging for children and "as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible".
"We are privileged to work with RoSPA Play Safety at a time when public sector finances are under pressure to deliver value in the most cost-efficient manner possible."
David Gent, managing director of PSS
We were also delighted to contribute to a briefing paper, River restoration projects and children’s play, prepared by London Play and Natural England, which considered how to create natural water areas by rivers or streams that are enjoyable and engaging places for children to play.
Encouraging practical safety education
Why? Practical safety education gives children and young people the opportunity to develop their risk competence skills, enabling them to fulfil their potential to enjoy healthy lifestyles through active (learning by doing) approaches to injury prevention.
"We want to show people that you can have fun and do all the things that you want, but in a safe way."
Heartlands Academy student Bhesme Nimo, who worked on the Have Fun Be Safe project
What we did: The Child Safety Education Coalition (CSEC), hosted by RoSPA, came to an end three months earlier than originally planned as a result of Government funding cuts. The coalition, which promoted and developed practical safety education to help children learn about danger and how to cope with it, had 127 members, consisting of a diverse range of local authorities, charities and commercial organisations.
CSEC highlights from April - December 2010:
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CSEC’s farm safety project enabled children to get close to nature.
- The Heartlands Academy Have Fun Be Safe project culminated in a week of activities to mark Child Safety Week. The seven-month project saw a group of 14 and 15-year-olds working with CSEC and a variety of its member organisations to prepare a series of workshops and presentations for fellow students at the Birmingham school.
- A project run by CSEC and Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) saw the traditional "look but don’t touch" style of farm safety education turned on its head. The project encouraged those involved in school trips to farms (teachers, children and farmers) to take a more active approach to safety, letting children interact with farm hazards in a controlled environment.
CSEC and Plantlife launched a project that encouraged children and young people to explore and enjoy the outdoors while also breaking down the perceived "health and safety barriers".
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Preparing for Have Fun Be Safe week at Heartlands Academy.
- CSEC published the findings of research conducted by former Ofsted inspectors, which showed that safety education in schools in England was characterised by a mixture of inspirational teaching and missed opportunities.
Following an overwhelming response from members at the end of the CSEC project, the LASER Alliance (www.lasersafety.org.uk) was established to provide continuing opportunities for organisations to be part of a wider network of practical safety education professionals.
"I have found the course really interesting and stimulating and I wish we had had the opportunity to do this a few years ago. It has been really useful to look at how to structure lessons and to reflect on your own practices and how you could improve them. It gives you the opportunity to change and develop."
Jane Stark, child accident prevention manager at NHS Wakefield District, who successfully completed the PSHE CPD
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