Water safety flags

Water safety signs and flags could save your life, so’s it’s vital to take the time to learn what they’re telling you to do – or not do!

Not all dangers near or in water are immediately obvious. Safety information is there to help you make an informed choice about the risks.

Warning signs, symbols and flags give you either

A warning of danger
Actions to do or not to do
A rule you must follow
A safe place or action you can take, like using a lifejacket or swimming within a lifeguarded zone

What should I look out for?

If you’re having a day at the beach or by a lake, loch, river or canal, take a few moments to notice the water safety signs and flags around you. They’ve been put there to keep you safe.

At the beach

We recommend you go to a lifeguarded beach. There are over 100 in the UK. You can search for them on the RNLI website.

The three key beach safety flags to look out for at lifeguarded beaches are:

Take some time to look out for any information boards too. These will tell you about water quality, tide times and lifeguarding hours. You can usually find them at main entrance points on lifeguarded beaches.