ECH130 Lecture 6: Water Safety 2
29 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Water Safety
Australian Water Safety Strategy –
• Introduced in 2008 → aims to reduce drowning deaths by 50% by
2020
• 2012-2015 strategy identified 3 key priority areas and 10 goals
o Priority Area 1 – taking a life stages approach
o Priority Area 2 – targeting high risk locations (surf beaches,
inland water areas, aquatic industry)
o Priority Area 3 – focusing on key drowning challenges (e.g.
alcohol and drug related)
• Key objectives of AWSS for reducing drowning deaths in children aged
0-14:
o Strengthen programs that raise awareness and build skills in
supervision
▪ Programs are evidence based, targeted at parents,
carers and supervisors of children under five and
evaluated to ensure effectiveness
o Harmonise systems that promote, monitor and enforce four
sided pool fencing
▪ Promotion, monitoring and enforcement programs are
adopted, implemented and evaluated in all
jurisdictions
o Implement systems that ensure all school aged children
receive compulsory swimming and water safety education
▪ Investigation explores the notion that water
familiarisation builds skills and safe behaviours in
children under five
▪ Swimming and water safety education to be included –
compulsory component of NEC
o Promote community wide rescue and resuscitation skils
Beach Safety:
• Drowning deaths – 2014-2015 = 55 drowning deaths at beaches
• Increase of 15% against the 10 year average
• Increase of 62% from previous year
• This shows no improvement of safety
Escaping a Rip:
• Do not swim to the shore directly against the rip – exhaustion is frequently
the result
• Remain calm, the rip will return you to the beach
• If you are a strong swimmer, try swimming parallel to the beach
• Aim for an area with breaking waves
• If this is too difficult, float or tread water
• If you are a weak swimmer, float and let the rip carry you
• You will circle in a large arc and come back to the beach
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Introduced in 2008 aims to reduce drowning deaths by 50% by. Implement systems that ensure all school aged children receive compulsory swimming and water safety education. Investigation explores the notion that water familiarisation builds skills and safe behaviours in children under five: swimming and water safety education to be included compulsory component of nec, promote community wide rescue and resuscitation skils. Beach safety: drowning deaths 2014-2015 = 55 drowning deaths at beaches, this shows no improvement of safety. Increase of 15% against the 10 year average. Escaping a rip: do not swim to the shore directly against the rip exhaustion is frequently the result. If you are a strong swimmer, try swimming parallel to the beach: remain calm, the rip will return you to the beach, aim for an area with breaking waves. If this is too difficult, float or tread water.
