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Helping your Family Stay Water Safe
Bub Hub E-Newsletter, December 2007, Issue 64 -
Article 2
(Scroll to bottom for details of Free Water Safety Lessons for All)
Safety at the Beach
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Warmer days are upon us and there is no better time to remind families the importance of being surf safe this summer. Surf Life Saving Queensland is encouraging families to practice basic surf safety when utilising beaches to ensure a safe and enjoyable time is had by everyone. Australia is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world which at the same time can be the most treacherous which means it is important to practice basic surf safety when hitting the beach with the family this summer. |
Volunteer Surf Lifesavers work selflessly throughout the summer months to patrol beaches across Australia. To stay safe and help make their job a little easier, here a few safety tips which may one day help save your life:
ALWAYS REMEMBER FLAGS
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F |
Find Flags and swim between them The red and yellow flags represent the area patrolled by lifesavers and lifeguards. They mark the safest place to swim at the beach. |
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Look at the safety signs The safety signs help you identify potential dangers and daily conditions at the beach. These are located at beach access points and at the flagged areas. Please read them carefully before entering the water. |
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Ask a Lifesaver for some good advice Surf conditions can change quickly (water depth, currents, wave size and type). Talk to a lifesaver or lifeguard before entering the water. |
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Get a friend to swim with you Always swim with a friend so you can look out for each other's safety and get help if needed. Children should always be supervised by an adult. |
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Stick your hand up for help If you get into trouble in the water, stay calm. Raise your arm to signal for help, float and wait for assistance. Float with a current or rip. Don't try and swim against it. |
BEACH FLAGS AND SAFETY SIGNS
Surf lifesavers and professional lifeguards identify the safest place on the beach to swim each day. The red and yellow flags are placed here to mark the safest swimming area. This is the only place to swim while at the beach!
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Red and Yellow |
Safety - swim between them |
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Yellow |
Use caution |
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Red |
Beach closed - Danger. No swimming |
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Red and White |
Shark alarm |
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Board Riding Sign |
Board riding area to the left or right (as per arrow) |
Lifesavers and lifeguards use a number of different condition boards and flags to identify dangers to the people swimming at the beach.
TO STAY SAFE AT THE BEACH
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LOOKING AFTER KIDS AT THE BEACH
With large crowds gathering at the beach throughout summer, lost children has become a major issue lifesavers continue to deal with.
The best way to avoid this from occurring is to swim only in patrolled areas and encourage children to never swim alone. Surf Lifesavers are there to help you and your children stay safe on our beaches.
There are three simple ways to prevent your children from getting lost from view:
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If you become separated from your children:
- Do not panic, hundreds of children are reported lost every year who are usually found walking along the beach.
- Quickly check the immediate area then notify the lifesavers/lifeguards on duty
- If no lifesavers are on duty then police can be contacted
- The lifesavers/lifeguards will need some information from you, such as:
- A description (i.e. age, clothing, name, hair colour)
- The time the child was last seen (this helps determine how far the child may have gone)
- Any medical problems the child may have
- Most children are usually found very quickly, however, sometimes a wider search is needed, this may include:
- The car
- The home/unit
- Surrounding parklands/playgrounds
- A further expanse of the beach (children have been known to walk some distances)
- Stay calm and assist the lifesavers/lifeguards or Police as requested, they will be doing everything they can to help you.
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BE SUN SAFE Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap
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Also avoid direct exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day - between the hours of 10am and 3pm and try to take advantage of shade where possible.
NIPPERS
Want to educate your children on surf safety? Nippers programs are run through clubs across Australia and are designed to educate and entertain your kids throughout the summer season. The Nippers program is run for children aged between 5 and 13, providing with them with basic surf skills and keeping them fit and healthy. Nippers programs are a great opportunity to make your children confident in and around the water. This program gives parents peace of mind and allows the children the opportunity to learn a skill for life! For more information contact your local surf club.
"If we can't see you, we can't save you"
Please swim between the red and yellow flags
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This article has been kindly provided by Surf Life Saving Queensland. fax: (07) 3846 8008 website: www.lifesaving.com.au email: slsq@lifesaving.com.au |
Kids Alive - Free Water Safety Lessons for All
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Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under five in Australia. This summer to combat drowning, Laurie Lawrence will use the internet, to give five free water safety lessons to all parents across Australia. Laurie said "This year let’s reach our target of zero preschool deaths. I am going to make five free online water safety lessons available to all parents across Australia". The five free lessons are designed for parents with children under the age of five and are communicated via an online interactive learning program. |
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The interactive learning program features video footage of Laurie demonstrating swimming techniques and text documents that parents can download. Over five lessons, parents will be educated on important elements of the learn to swim process like independence, conditioning children for submersion and free floating. |
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The Kids Alive water safety lessons will be available for all via the Kids Alive website from December 3rd, www.kidsalive.com.au. Laurie said "Just visit the Kids Alive website, become a free member and then anyone can gain access to the five free water safety lessons"
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Are the free lessons part of a competition? No they are available to all parents and people interested in teaching children under 5 to swim.
When will the lessons appear on the Kids Alive Website? 3rd December 2007 onwards.
What do you have to do to get the free lessons? To access the free lessons, visit www.kidsalive.com.au, become a free member, and the lessons are yours free of charge.
What will I learn from the lessons? Users will learn how to teach important elements of the learn to swim process including, independence, breath control, submersion and free floating. Safety tips for around the water will also be covered.
How will the lessons be delivered? The lessons are communicated by an interactive learning program. The learning program uses video streaming, quizzes and text downloads. The interactive program is streamed via the Kids Alive website onto your computer. It is not permanently downloaded onto your computer.
Who are the lessons suitable for?
The water safety lessons are designed specifically for parents, carers and teachers of children under the age of 5. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers are featured in the program.
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This information has been kindly provided by Laurie Lawrence Swim School and Kids Alive. |
Related pages/viewer stories:
- info hub directory > holidays portal
- info hub directory > care in the sun
- info hub directory > water safety
- shops directory > sun and swim products
- activities directory > learn to swim
- activities directory > cyber swim
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