UK National Drowning Prevention Strategy, 2016-2026

400 people lose their life to inland drowning in the UK, many of these deaths are sadly preventable. It is statistics like these that fuel our commitment to helping organisations across the globe, implement advanced drowning detection systems to reduce drowning and injury risks. With decades of operating within the drowning detection sector, we welcome the rise of initiatives to raise awareness around drowning and reduce its likelihood.

One organisation that shares our vision is the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF). NWSF  has been uniting organisations within the industry to reduce the number of inland drownings in the UK.  At the heart of their campaign is the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2016-26, which aims to create a future without drowning. This strategy will be broken down into:

• Main Strategic Goal: The main goal of the strategy is to reduce accidental drownings by 50% from 2016-26 within high risk populations, groups and communities.

As this strategy evolves, we will keep you updated so you can swim safe, always.

Main Goal:

The main goal of the UK Drowning Prevention strategy is to reduce accidental drownings by 50% from 2016-2026 within high risk populations, groups and communities. We are delighted to see that the overall number of drownings has reduced since 2017, despite this we will continue to campaign for swim safety.

This will be done on two fronts: through utilisation of SPSC’s drowning detection solutions, and through the spread of useful, potentially lifesaving information.

Key Targets:

1. To provide every child with the opportunity to learn how to swim, and receive water safety education at Key Stage 3.
2. Every community with drowning hazards should undergo a community risk assessment and water safety plan.
3. Increase awareness of everyday risk, in and around water.
4. All recreational activities should understand the biggest drowning risks and provide a clear risk strategy to address them.

Key Takeaways:

While we are happy to see the number of drownings fall recently, we still believe any number of drownings is too high. This is why SPSC will continually update you on key changes, statistics and new pertaining to swim safety, to ensure you are safe in the pool, always.

For more information on drowning prevention, swim safety, or how SPSC can assist in making your swimming experience as safe as possible, contact us via our website.