What is Swim Safe?:
Swim Safe is a water safety and awareness training scheme developed by Jellyfish Swim School. Its aim is to provide education for children and parents in addition to the ‘learn to swim’ courses. Water safety education is something so fundamental but often missed by other swim schools. It is one thing being able to swim 25m in controlled conditions; it is another thing again learning to be safe on and near the water. Drowning is a final and deadly condition. The most positive way of countering drowning is to prevent unnecessary entry into water. Through education comes recognition and therefore respect of danger. It is essential that children are made aware of the dangers of open water.
Some drowning facts:
1) Drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death amongst the under 16s
2) 111 children under the age of 5 have drowned in the last decade within a space of a few minutes of the supervisory adult being momentarily distracted
3) Learning to swim may help children in difficulty in the water, but figures show that in more than half of drowning cases, the children could actually swim
Why drowning accidents happen:
There are 6 major reasons:
1) ignorance, disregard or misjudgement of danger
2) unrealistic idea of open water swimming ability
3) unfamiliar surroundings
4) unprotected or uninformed access to danger
5) lack of competent supervision especially of the young and elderly
6) the victim’s inability to save themselves or to be rescued
Where people drown:
It is possible to drown in a puddle - anywhere where there is enough water to cover your mouth and nose, which would prevent you breathing if you were unable to remove your face from the water:
1) At home - baths, toilets and washing machines
2) In the garden - ponds, paddling pools and water butts
3) At the local park or swimming pool
4) Around the locality - sewage works, building, mining and industrial sites
5) Inland waters - rivers, streams, canals, lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits
6) Along the coast - in the sea, rock pools, quick sand and mud flats
Aims of Swim Safe:
The aim is to ensure that children become aware of the dangers of water without spoiling the fun of learning to swim. Children will be taught principles and skills of water safety, risk assessment and survival across all locations including in the house, the open environment (lakes, rivers, reservoirs) and closed environment (swimming pool).
Swim Safe learning:
Swim Safe is designed to help every child:
a) demonstrate an understanding of the Water Safety Code
b) be able to identify dangerous locations
c) explain the dangers of water
d) know how to behave near water
e) identify the dangers to themselves
f) identify the dangers in the local environment
g) know how to summon assistance
h) know who to assess and respond while maintaining their own safety
i) demonstrate on land, or in the pool environment a reaching rescue
j) demonstrate on land, or in the pool environment a throwing rescue
k) identify other activities where the ability to swim is important
l) explain the dangers of cold water
m) gain knowledge of beach flag codes
Swim Safe will cover the following water skills across the whole Jellyfish Swim School programme:
a) water entry and exit
b) breath control and underwater swimming
c) buoyancy
d) changing direction and position
e) treading water
f) swimming on front, back and side
g) general and personal water safety
h) helping others
i) rescue techniques (reaching, throwing and wading)
Resources:
We are active members of the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) and RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). There are numerous websites which contain invaluable information including: www.lifeguardssupport.co.uk, www.rospa.com, www.sta.co.uk, www.beachsafety.org.uk, www.wow4water.net and www.britishswimming.org.
Safety Advice:
Open water swimming:
1) Do not go alone
2) Wait for at least an hour after a meal
3) Never swim after drinking alcohol
4) If you feel cold, tired or unwell, leave the water
5) Do not swim if there is a red flag flying
6) Swim in an area patrolled by lifeguards, parallel to the shore
7) Do not go into unknown water
8) Look before you leap - people have suffered from serious neck injuries because they
didn’t pay attention to the water safety rule
9) Do not where goggles if performing a deep dive
10) Do not swim near rocks, piers or breakwaters
11) Do not swim in areas designated for surfing, jet skiing or boating
Boating safety:
1) Make sure all the equipment is well-maintained
2) Take a course of qualified instruction before going out in a boat
3) Inform someone where you are going and your estimated time of return
4) Always wear an approved floatation device e.g. buoyancy aid/ life jacket
5) Wear layers of warm clothing with waterproof outer garments and non-slip footwear
6) Learn emergency capsize and ‘man overboard drills’
7) Check the weather before going afloat as conditions at sea can change suddenly
8) If you capsize stay with the boat, you will be spotted more easily
9) Keep fingers away from the edge when manoeuvring close to other boats or jetties
10) If at sea carry a means of raising the alarm, e.g. red flags, orange smoke, flares, whistle blasts or radio maydays
At the beach:
1) Obey warning signs, notices and safety flags, remember the ‘FLAGS’ rule
2) Make a note of lifeguards on duty, first aid posts and emergency telephones
3) Look for information for high and low tides, if the beach is wet near the water’s edge the tide is going out, if the beach is dry near the water’s edge the tide is coming in
4) Be aware of being cut off by incoming tides
5) Do not play on rocks, groynes and breakwaters
6) Do not climb on cliffs and keep away from cliff edges
7) Do not explore caves when there is a risk of being cut off by incoming tides
8) Be aware of other people on the beach as they can indicate safe areas or tidal movement.
9) Do not use inflatable airbeds or large inflatable toys on the sea as they can easily be blown out to sea
10) Be aware of rip currents that can pull you out to sea, If caught in a rip tide keep calm, either swim diagonally across the current or wait until the power has reduces to allow you to swim parallel to the beach and surf with the waves
11) Watch out for the sun and stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day. Cover up well (preferably with a protective wetsuit), put on a hat and use a high factor sunscreen and reapply frequently. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and protect your eyes.
12) Do not leave rubbish or litter as it can be dangerous for other beach users and marine life.
13) Watch out for dangerous marine animals, some are found on beaches including
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