Water safety in the home

Although the number of drowning in and around the home are low, they affect the most vulnerable within our families. We consider children under the age of 6 and the elderly to be the two key at risk groups.

In private homes putting in place these measures are a family choice, rather than a result of law or regulation. Our advice is based on a number of principles, set out below, with the aim of reducing the most severe accidents:

• Vigilance, supervision and knowledge of how to help are critical; this starts at identifying locations and situations that will cause harm.
• Creating a safe home environment which is forgiving in case of lapses of attention or mistakes is equally critical. For example a child who wanders away from a busy parent: measures such as child ready fencing/grills/gates will limit the chance of a fall into water.
• That bought products should be fit for purpose, and if they create non-obvious risks, these should be explained clearly.