What Is Drowning Prevention and What Practical Steps Reduce the Risk?

Updated

Drowning prevention means reducing the chance of drowning before an emergency happens—by managing hazards, supervising children closely, and knowing what to do if someone gets into trouble in, on, or around water. The practical starting point is the Water Safety Code, which RLSS UK presents as the core guidance for keeping yourself and others safe around water. It applies to everyone, but the steps you prioritise depend on your situation: parents of young children should focus first on supervision and home water safety, while people who swim, fish, or boat in open water need to plan for cold water, currents, and emergencies.

Start with the Water Safety Code

RLSS UK's Water Safety Code is the simplest framework for turning drowning prevention into actions. It is built around three habits:

  • Check the hazards. Look at the water and its surroundings before you get in or let children near it. Consider depth, currents, cold, hidden objects, and how easy it would be to get out.
  • Go with others. Avoid being alone in or around water, so someone can raise the alarm or help if something goes wrong.
  • Know what to do in an emergency. Agree in advance who calls for help, what they say, and where the nearest exit or safe point is.

The code is a decision tool, not a one-off read: apply it each time you arrive at a new body of water, including a familiar one that has changed with weather or tide.

Reduce risk at home, especially for young children

RLSS UK's Splash Safely at Home guidance focuses on bath time, where very young children can drown in just a few centimetres of water. The practical steps are:

  • Keep a hand on your child at all times during bath time—supervision means active, close attention, not being in the next room.
  • Prepare everything (towel, clothes, nappy) before the bath so you never leave the child to fetch something.
  • Empty the bath as soon as you finish, and keep bathroom doors closed when not in use.

The same logic extends to paddling pools, buckets, and water butts in the garden: empty them after use and store them where children cannot reach standing water.

Recognise the situations that raise risk

Drowning prevention is largely about spotting conditions that make an ordinary activity dangerous:

Situation Why it raises risk Practical response
Cold water (lakes, rivers, sea) Cold shock can affect breathing and movement quickly Enter gradually, know the exit, consider a wetsuit, never jump in alone
Alcohol near water Impairs judgement and balance RLSS UK runs a Don't Drink and Drown campaign—keep alcohol away from water activities and watch friends near water
Unsupervised children Young children are quiet and quick in water Designate one adult as the watcher, with no phone or other distraction
Winter water Cold, slippery banks and fewer people around Follow RLSS UK's Winter Water Safety advice and keep back from edges

Prepare to respond, not just to avoid

Prevention includes knowing what to do if the worst happens. The safe response is to call for help first—dial the emergency number and give a clear location—and to reach or throw something buoyant rather than entering the water yourself, which is how bystanders become casualties. RLSS UK's Water Rescue Equipment Register and its lifesaving qualifications and awards (over 177,000 delivered in 2025) exist to build these skills properly; for most families, the priority is knowing the emergency number, the location, and a safe rescue method.

Where to learn more and take action

RLSS UK offers structured routes depending on who you are:

  • Schools: Water Smart Schools is a free accreditation programme for primary, secondary, and specialist schools, helping students gain essential water safety skills for life.
  • Children: Rookie Lifeguard lets children expand their water activities while learning lifesaving skills.
  • Adults and professionals: RLSS UK qualifications and awards, plus its Water Safety Advice pages, cover both personal safety and industry guidance.
  • Campaigns: Drowning Prevention Week and Summer Water Safety provide seasonal, shareable messages you can pass on to family, schools, or community groups.

If you want a single next step, learn the Water Safety Code and apply it at the next body of water you visit—then decide whether a course, a school programme, or a community campaign fits your situation.