Water Safety

Shropshire is the largest land locked county in England but home to numerous beautiful rivers, lakes and quarries – all of which can seem very tempting to enter during hot weather or to cool off. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to keeping those enjoying our beautiful water ways safe. We carry out a year-round programme of events and campaigns to highlight safety and work closely with partner agencies to spread these messages throughout the County. Here, we have collected some of our most important advice, how we are working to spread water safety messages and a listing those organisations we work with and how they can help you.

As part of our prevention work, we strive to educate residents and visitors alike to the dangers of water and how to stay safe.

The dangers of water include:

• It is very cold
• There may be hidden currents
• It can be difficult to get out (steep slimy banks)
• It can be deep
• There may be hidden rubbish, e.g. shopping trolleys, broken glass
• There are no lifeguards
• It is difficult to estimate depth
• It may be polluted and may make you ill

Advice for staying safe around water

• Keep away from the water’s edge and closely supervise young children at all times.
• Never swim in open water when there are no life-guards present.
• Don’t jump or dive into open water; submerged objects such as rocks may not be visible and can cause serious injuries.
• Be aware that there may be strong currents, even where the water surface appears calm.
• Weirs, locks, pipes and sluices are especially dangerous.
• Take note of warning signs, safety information or flags near the water’s edge.
• Get out of the water as soon as you start to feel cold.
• Water can be very cold even in summer, causing cramp and breathing difficulties – these can affect even the strongest swimmer.
• Wear the recommended safety equipment for your activity, e.g life jackets/helmets.
• Always wear a life-jacket or other buoyancy aid for water-side activities such as angling or boating
• Alcohol may impair your ability and judgment; never go swimming under the influence of alcohol

Open Water swimming

The basic principles of open water safety, combined with knowledge and understanding of the hazards, can increase the enjoyment of open water and significantly reduce the number of incidents that occur each year.

https://nationalwatersafety.org.uk/water-safety-england/guidance-for-the-public/open-water-swimming

Do you know the water safety code?

https://www.rlss.org.uk/listing/category/the-water-safety-code

Water Safety Videos

More of our videos can be located on our YouTube channel

Winter Water Safety

The Royal Life Saving Society of the UK have produced some excellent guidance about staying safe near water during the Winter months, when water can be even more dangerous

https://www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/winter-water-safety

Royal National Lifeboats Institution Waterside responder scheme

In 2022, SFRS partnered with the RNLI and began delivering RNLI Waterside Responder training.  This is a nationally recognised package and is being adopted by more and more services.  Training consists of a presentation around the creation of the scheme, water safety/hazard advice and how the attendee can help.  It then moves to a practical element involving the use of throwlines and how to assist in a rescue. 

During this session, our teams will will train your staff how to:

• use a throw bag to help rescue somebody in the water
• provide safety advice to people using waterside areas
• understand the risks of the waterside near your venue.

If your venue is near the water and you’d like your staff to take part in this free training, please get in touch via contact us

https://rnli.org/safety/throw-bag-training

Further resources and information

Staywise- https://staywise.co.uk/

StayWise gives teachers, home educators and emergency services workers free access to curriculum-aligned safety resources developed by UK fire and rescue services, police, paramedics, RNLI and the Coastguard, alongside other safety-focused organisations. Save planning time and help children and young people stay safe at home, in school and in the community. Log in or register today.

NFCC Be water aware campaign: https://nfcc.org.uk/our-services/campaigns/be-water-aware/

Online learning resources from Home and Dry

Resources for children from the Canal River Trust

Safety information and resources from the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS)

Take the West Mercia Search and Rescue water safety online course here