Holiday #Poolsafety Campaign
Many of us can’t wait to take our first dip into a pool when we go on holiday.
But before you take the plunge here are some tips and advice to keep those you love safe, and help you RELAX.
Share the video and tips with friends and family who are jetting off for some late summer sun.
How Mumsnetters can help save lives
- Before you go on holiday
- When you arrive at your destination, you are ready to RELAX
- Recce the pool area and enter emergency numbers into your phone.
- Eyes on the DC – someone needs to supervise the children at all times.
- Lifesaving techniques – make sure someone in your group know CPR.
- Armbands stay on at all times if they are needed.
- Explain to DC how to use the pool safely.
- Take action
- Holiday accommodation should ensure local emergency contact numbers are easily visible at the poolside. If not, let them know and ask them to make contact numbers available to people on arrival at their accommodation.
- Lifeguard qualifications may vary but as a minimum your holiday poor lifeguard should know basic lifesaving and have the communication skills needed to be effective in an emergency. Ask your accommodation provider what skills and training their lifeguards have, and let them know if you feel confident in them or not.
- Report it
- You can talk to your holiday accommodation, your hotel rep, and share good and bad practice on both Mumsnet and Safer Tourism’s twitter pages. Your experience could help save a life.
Follow these simple steps to help you to RELAX.
Recce the pool environment when you first arrive at your accommodation
Identify safety features, barriers, slides and chutes, deep and shallow end, whether there is a lifeguard if it’s a shared pool and when they’re on duty. Take a moment to enter the local emergency numbers into your phone when you arrive.
Eyes on the kids – keep a look out always (whether it’s you or someone you trust)
Lifesaving techniques. Make sure you or someone you are with knows how to save lives.
There may not be a lifeguard where you are going, so learn some basic CPR. And even if there is a lifeguard, bear in mind they are not substitute parents.
Armbands – If they are needed, make sure they stay on at all times. Children often want to go back in the pool even when the time for swimming is over.
Explain to children how to use the pool safely. Take time to do this. It’s vital.
And for travel and tour companies and self-catering accommodation providers, we expect you to provide the right information and assistance to help people using the pool avoid getting into trouble, and to deal with an emergency if necessary.
Click here to download pdf of this page.
