RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
September 20, 2001
RoSPA CONFERENCE AIMS TO REDUCE UK’S DROWNING PROBLEM
Experts will address more than 160 delegates at a Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident’s national water safety congress next week.
The sell-out event in Blackpool on Monday and Tuesday (September 24-25) will seek answers to why around 570 people drown in the UK each year.
The congress, The Safe Management of Water Sites - The Risk Assessment Route, organised by RoSPA, will be held at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.
About 375 of the annual drownings happen in inland open water such as rivers, lakes, pools, reservoirs, canals and lochs.
The congress will give delegates the opportunity to learn about new research, legislation and government initiatives aimed at reducing the number of deaths.
It is being attended by leisure and tourism managers, watersport facilities managers, and manufacturers of water and leisure safety products.
Peter Cornall, RoSPA Head of Water and Leisure Safety, said: “Currently there is no particular body responsible for water safety. The Society wants to see a framework established for co-operation between the wide range of organisations dealing with water safety.
“RoSPA felt that a national event was needed to bring specific interest groups together to examine issues in depth, including responsibility. Delegates will be able to learn about practical risk assessment solutions to specific site management problems in all areas.”
Alan Whitehead, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions will be discussing current DTLR initiatives for inland water safety.
Topics to be explored will include: accident investigation and the causes of water incidents; how technology will shape the future role of lifeguards; and drowning research and preventative measures.
The conference is sponsored by Poseidon Technologies Ltd, who produce computer-aided drowning detection systems for swimming pools.
For more information, contact RoSPA on 0121 248 2000, or visit the website: www.rospa.com
